Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva allegedly received kickbacks from multimillion peso flood control projects, based on the testimony of a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) assistant district engineer, who worked in the District Engineering Office (DEO) of Bulacan.
Appearing on Tuesday at the House Infra Committee with Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon being the lead chair, sacked DPWH Bulacan First District assistant engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez admitted to legislators that Estrada and Villanueva were involved in the widespread corruption.
Both senators—who were also previously implicated in the pork barrel scam—allegedly received “SOP” (share of project) in flood control projects in Bulacan, according to Hernandez.
Hernandez confirmed the findings of Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson, who exposed in a recent privilege speech how some DPWH engineers served as ‘legmen’ for corrupt politicians in the ghost projects controversy.
“Senator Lacson is correct. The engineers of the DPWH appeared to have been reduced as legmen or bagmen. If you’re asking who did we serve as bagmen, I will answer that today… Yesterday, Senator (Rodante) Marcoleta said ‘you are safe.’ That’s not true,” Hernandez said.
He then revealed that Estrada and Villanueva both worked with former DPWH Bulacan first district engineer Henry Alcantara and former undersecretary Robert Bernardo in some of the alleged anomalous projects in Bulacan.
“Senator Jinggoy downloaded P355-million this 2025 for some projects in Bulacan… The SOP here is 30-percent, as per our district engineer Henry Alcantara. This was delivered when the items were released in the GAA (General Appropriations Act),” Hernandez said.
This developed as Hernandez who was under Senate custody pleaded with the House Infra Comm members not to send him back to the upper chamber, fearing retribution from senators, whom he implicated in the flood control mess probe.
“Please don’t send me back to the Senate, Your Honor, because there are senators involved here and I don’t know what my fate will be if you send me back there,” said Hernandez, who was earlier cited in contempt by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
To this Ridon responded: “We will coordinate with the Senate Blue Ribbon to ensure you will remain in the House for as long as needed.”
Hernandez testified that Alcantara, his former boss—the dismissed DPWH Bulacan First District engineer—directed the boxed cash withdrawals linked to ghost and substandard projects.
“I don’t know if it all went to him, but he took all the money that was already in the box,” Hernandez said during questioning by Ako Bicol Rep. Alfredo Garbin, Jr.
Asked if Alcantara was the only recipient, Hernandez admitted he could not name the others out of fear for his life and family. Alcantara, who was also present in the hearing and even sat in the same row as Hernandez, denied the accusations.
