Incumbent and former senators on Friday denied allegations tying them to kickback schemes in flood control and infrastructure projects disclosed during a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing.
The denials followed a second supplemental affidavit from former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, who identified several lawmakers as alleged beneficiaries of fund flows tied to project allocations.
Bernardo accused Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Mark Villar, and Francis Escudero of receiving money from supposed kickback arrangements managed through intermediaries.
He also named former senators Grace Poe, Nancy Binay, and Ramon Revilla Jr., along with former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, as participants in the same scheme.
Poe said she was disheartened by the allegation and added that she was surprised her name surfaced in the hearing.
“I support the investigations, that is why I was the first to attend the proceedings,” she argued, referencing her cooperation with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).
Villar also rejected the accusations and warned the public not to treat affidavits as conclusive evidence, saying such documents can be shaped to serve certain interests.
“I stand by my untarnished record as a long-serving public servant as a Representative, DPWH Secretary, and Senator of this Republic,” he said.
Binay, who now serves as Makati mayor, said she has no involvement in any irregular Public Works projects and added that no former Senate staffer of hers would have had the authority to engage in such dealings.
“I will not allow lies such as this to distract my focus in serving the people of Makati,” she said.
Estrada appeared unfazed by the renewed allegations and said he was not surprised that his name was mentioned again in connection with supposed payouts from department contracts.
Bernardo told the committee that Estrada was allegedly among those who received around a quarter of project values in certain arrangements.
Revilla responded to the allegation by saying he remains confident that the truth will emerge as the inquiry progresses.
Escudero called Bernardo’s claims baseless, malicious, and self-serving, insisting they are meant to tarnish his reputation and the Senate, and vowed that the facts will ultimately vindicate him.
