COURT GRILLS REVILLA WITNESS OVER P130M RETURN VS P10M DECLARED NET WORTH

A witness in the graft case involving former senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr. told the Sandiganbayan court that he had returned ₱130 million to the government, despite declaring only about ₱10 million in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).

The testimony was given during a hearing on the bail petition of Revilla and his co-accused over the Pandi flood control project—where Third Division chairperson Associate Justice Karl Miranda tested the witness' reliability as state witness.

"I don't remember how much exactly, but it's around P10 million, maybe," the witness, Gerard Opulencia, said when asked about his net worth based on his SALN.

Miranda then pressed Opulencia on why he would return ₱150 million if he was not involved in any illegal acts, to which the witness said that the restitution was required in the Witness Protection Program.

Opulencia, a former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regional director in the National Capital Region, pledged to return a total of ₱150 million as part of his application after being initially named a respondent in the ₱92.8 million Pandi flood control project case.

“Exactly, you were part of the scheme,” Miranda said.

In response, Opulencia explained that he has no knowledge of how funds were raised for "commitments" for a project, which came from the advance payments from the contractors.

“Commitments,” often alleged in graft cases to refer to kickbacks, are given to project proponents who are often House representatives or senators.

Miranda then reminded him that his immunity from charges is conditional, "Once you lie, it can be taken away."