The Sandiganbayan denied former senator Bong Revilla, Jr. request to transfer detention to the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, ordering him to remain at the Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory in Payatas while standing trial over a disputed flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.
In a ruling by its Third Division, the anti-graft court held that Revilla must stay under the custody of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology as he faces charges of Malversation through Falsification of Public Documents linked to an alleged ghost infrastructure project.
Revilla argued that his continued detention in Payatas exposed him to security risks and gang-related violence. Prosecutors opposed the motion, saying the claims were based on speculation. The court sided with jail superintendent Maria Lourdes Pacion, who testified that the facility is safe, uncongested, and has special security arrangements for high-profile detainees.
The ruling also cited a January 6 letter from then acting PNP chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., stating that police custodial centers are intended only for temporary detention and that extended confinement there is burdensome to police operations.
The court stressed that detention in a BJMP facility allows inmates to earn good conduct time allowance that may reduce any eventual sentence. Associate Justice Karl Miranda said continued detention at the Quezon City Jail is required by law and signals the start of time allowance computation.
Magistrates denied several other motions filed by Revilla, including his bid to quash the case and requests for reinvestigation, reconsideration before the Ombudsman, and delay of arrest warrants. The court ruled that due process was observed and that judges have discretion in issuing warrants.
A motion by co-accused Juanito Mendoza to consolidate the case with a related graft case was also denied. Revilla and his co-accused are set for arraignment on February 9.
