A witness of the House Infra Committee received threatening messages on his mobile phone in the middle of the panel’s inquiry Tuesday into ghost and failed flood control projects in Bulacan.
Engr. Jaypee Mendoza, formerly of the province’s first engineering district, sought recognition in the course of the hearing to inform the panel of the alleged threats.
“Last September 1, someone sent a message on Viber, the name was ‘Hitman.’ Then now, before I could speak, he called again,” Mendoza informed the investigating panel chaired by Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon.
“If possible, may I be granted security as soon as possible, sir… please also include my family, too,” Mendoza appealed.
Ridon, who earlier promised House protection for Infra Comm witnesses, said, “We are stating for the record that Mr. Mendoza is receiving threats to his life.
“It is something the committee is taking seriously. We will discuss it as soon as we end this meeting,” Ridon said.
Before informing the panel of his safety concern, Mendoza supported the testimony of his first district engineering colleague, former Assistant District Engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez, linking Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada to flood control projects in Bulacan worth almost P1 billion.
Hernandez claimed that the two senators allegedly received 30-percent of that amount in kickbacks through their boss, former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan First District Engineer Henry Alcantara.
