THE desktop computer of former Bulacan 1st district assistant engineer Brice Hernandez contains files that can support claims against senators and congressmen allegedly involved in the flood control controversy, his lawyer Raymund Fortun said Monday.
Fortun said the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee wants to get hold of Hernandez’s computer, which he retrieved over the weekend, as evidence in the ongoing investigation.
However, he emphasized that the engineer’s legal counsel has decided to surrender the device entirely to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to ensure impartiality.
“All the items that we can use as evidence regarding these projects, who the proponents are, and how much money was involved are on this computer. This is where we can probably start—-regarding the SOP that Brice said and the kickbacks from these projects,” Fortun said in mix-English-Filipino in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB.
“In Brice’s computer, the proponents were identified and some of these personalities are senators and congressmen. That’s all I can say,” he added.
Hernandez on Saturday was allowed to leave the Senate and go home to gather evidence to support his claims against certain personalities linked to flood control anomalies.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Hernandez was allowed again on Monday to temporarily leave the Senate “to retrieve what was left yesterday.”
In an interview with reporters, Blue Ribbon chairman Panfilo Lacson said Hernandez’s legislative immunity will be cancelled if he does not turn in the computer.
To recall, Hernandez had alleged that Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva received at least 30 percent in kickbacks from nearly P1 billion worth of flood control projects in Bulacan province.
Both senators have denied the allegations.
During Thursday’s hearing, Hernandez sought legislative immunity from the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee before narrating how the so-called ghost flood control projects worked in their district in Bulacan.
The former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineer also asked the panel if the contempt order against him could be lifted so that he could find evidence to prove that there were other high-ranking officials involved in the scandal.
Fortun said they were “threatened” that Hernandez’ legislative immunity would be cancelled if his computer would not be submitted to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
“They told us that if the computer was not turned over to the Senate, Hernandez’ parliamentary immunity will be withdrawn and he will not be recommended to the Department of Justice to enter the witness protection program. We feel that that is a threat,” Fortun said.
Sotto and Lacson were invited by the ICI on Monday in connection with the panel’s investigation into the alleged irregularities in government flood control projects.
