Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. led the traditional distribution of Christmas presents to his fellow Caviteños at their residence in Cavite on Wednesday, Christmas Day.
Thousands of people swarmed the road leading to the ancestral house of the Revillas for the yearly Christmas gift-giving.
They lined up outside the Revillas’ compound in Barangay Panapaan VII in Bacoor City as early as 2 a.m.
More people came towards early morning hours, filling more than a kilometer stretch of the street.
And people continued to line up even under the rain.
In a live video broadcast from his Facebook page, the actor-senator said his late mother, Azucena Mortel-Bautista, started the act of gift-giving every Christmas.
“Ito po magsisimula na ang ating tradisyon na pamimigay ng regalo… pamasko sa ating mga kababayan natin dito sa Cavite,” Revilla said.
“Ito ay sinimulan pa ng aking nanay noong bata pa kami. Ito po ay tradisyon. Kaya mamaya makikita ninyo iyong pila ng mga tao,” he added.
In the video, Revilla could be seen talking to some senior citizens, who said they went to the Revilla’s compound at about 6 a.m.
The Senator apologized to them as the distribution of presents started at around 7 a.m.
“Grabe! Pasensiya na kayo alas-siyete kasi ang opening natin dito,” Revilla said.
Normally, the actor-senator said that around 5,000 to 10,000 people go to their residence for the traditional Christmas gift-giving.
Revilla was joined by his wife, Bacoor City mayor and actress Lani Mercado, in giving the presents to their fellow Caviteños.
Each person received a pack of goods and P100 cash.
This was Revilla’s second Christmas gift-giving after he was released from four-year detention for plunder charges, which he was acquitted of by anti-graft court Sandiganbayan in December 2018.
The court told Revilla to return P124.5 million to the Philippine treasury, but he has not done so.
The actor won a Senate seat in the 2019 elections.
