The Office of the Ombudsman said it will continue to pursue legal remedies after the Sandiganbayan Third Division granted the bail petition of former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. in connection with the alleged ₱92.8-million ghost flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.

In a statement released following the court’s decision, the Ombudsman said it respects the ruling of the anti-graft court but maintained that it stands by the findings of its investigation and the evidence presented against Revilla.

“The Office of the Ombudsman, while it respects the orders and decisions of the Sandiganbayan, must stand by its own investigation and work.”

The anti-graft agency added that it will take further legal steps to emphasize its position that strong evidence exists against the former senator.

“We will exhaust all remedies to highlight the basis for which we can say that evidence of guilt is indeed strong against former Senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla.”

The Sandiganbayan Third Division earlier approved Revilla’s petition for bail and set his cash bond at ₱1 million. The court, however, denied the bail petitions of his six co-accused in the case.

The Sandiganbayan’s ruling on bail was limited to determining whether the prosecution established strong evidence of guilt for purposes of detention and did not constitute a final judgment on Revilla’s guilt or innocence. The criminal proceedings will continue.

The Ombudsman reiterated that it will continue defending the strength of its case as the trial progresses.