“Lacson: Ex-DPWH engineer must produce ‘resibo’ of kickbacks given to 2 senators”
Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada are not yet cleared on the issue of multi-million-peso insertions in the 2023 and 2025 budgets for flood-control infrastructure projects in Bulacan, Senate President Pro Tempore Ping Lacson said.
“By any measure, Senators Villanueva and Estrada have not been cleared, at least on the issue of budget insertions involving infrastructure projects in Bulacan worth P600 million and P355 million respectively, as alleged by (former DPWH District Engineer) Brice Hernandez,” Lacson wrote on X.
During Thursday’s hearing of the Blue Ribbon Committee, Lacson said the P600 million supposedly for flood control projects in Bulacan was found in the Unprogrammed Fund under the 2023 GAA, which Hernandez earlier linked to Villanueva.
He said his office found in the regular budget of the 2025 General Appropriations Act the P355 million in infrastructure projects in Bulacan that Hernandez linked to Estrada.
Lacson said the P600 million linked to Villanueva was also culled from documents provided by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.
“There are seven to eight items worth P75 million each, exactly P600 million in total,” he said.
Both Villanueva and Estrada have denied Hernandez’s allegations. The two senators have yet to give a comment on Lacson’s statement as of press time yesterday.
Lacson said he is now waiting for “receipts” or proof of commissions that the senators allegedly got from flood control projects from Hernandez.
He said the “receipts” will aid in crafting stronger anti-corruption and accountability measures, as well as help the Independent Commission for Infrastructure and other prosecution bodies like the Ombudsman or Department of Justice.
Lacson said he will ask Senate President Vicente Sotto III to allow Hernandez to leave the Senate premises under escort to produce these “receipts.”
“We need to find proof or receipts if we are to make a recommendation or to pass the evidence to the ICI, to support Hernandez’s claims that he gave 30 percent commissions to the two senators as he alleged,” Lacson said in an interview on dzBB.
“The issue is whether he gave commissions to the two senators. That is for him to prove. If he has proof like a ledger, he must show it. The burden of proof is on him.”
“If Hernandez cannot produce the documents, his claims on the commissions will remain allegations. But if he can produce them Monday or in the next hearing, we can use them to recommend charges against our two colleagues before the ICI or Ombudsman,” Lacson added.
Lacson said he and Sotto are now in “sagasa” mode – or ready to run over anyone – in ferreting out the truth, pointing out that the Senate as an institution has been dragged into the flood control project mess.
“Sotto and I talked about this. At this stage of our political careers, we’re going all out, no matter who gets hurt,” he said in a separate interview with dzRH.
Asked if Hernandez would be made a state witness, Lacson said his case should be evaluated by the Department of Justice first.
