MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Bong Revilla officially sought reelection on October 7, Monday, having filed his certificate of candidacy at the Commission on Elections.
Another actor turned senator, Revilla is running under the administration slate of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. He is currently a member of Lakas-CMD.
“He is known by many to play many roles in different fields but the most important ones were to serve the country: Vice Governor. Governor. Government chief. Senator,” Marcos said in Filipino at the event announcing his administration’s senatorial lineup on September 26.
After filing his COC, Revilla gave a speech but declined to be interviewed by the media.
Revilla said that despite being dismissed as “Mr. Budots”, he was still elected and was able to file measures.
“Yan ang resulta ng pag-budots sa Senado.”
Revilla was the vice governor and eventual governor of Cavite.
He was appointed by former Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as the head of the Videogram Regulatory Board, which is now known as the Optical Media Board.
Legislative record. Among the education bills Revilla co-authored that was enacted into law was Open High School System Act (Republic Act 10665) that provides alternative schooling for those unable to attend regular high school classes, and the Unified Student Financing Assistance System (RA 10687) that aids financially disadvantaged students in completing a college degree.
He also advocated for the Motorcycle Helmet Act (RA 10054), the Children’s Emergency Relief and Protect Act (RA 10821) and the PAGASA Modernization Act (RA 10692) that boosted the state weather bureau’s capacity to track and analyze weather patterns.
Revilla similarly co-authored controversial pieces of legislation, the Cybercrime Prevention Act which seeks higher penalties for online libel and the Anti-Terrorism Act that was challenged before the Supreme Court for its vague and broad definitions of terrorism.
Controversy. Revilla is one of the senators tagged in the pork barrel scam of 2013, where several members of Congress allegedly misused the Priority Development Assistance Fund. Several charges of plunder were filed against Revilla, but the Sandiganbayan acquitted Revilla of some of the plunder charges.
