Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Roberto Bernardo on Thursday alleged Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero and former senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Nancy Binay benefited from anomalous DPWH infrastructure projects.
Bernardo claimed Escudero got a 20 percent commission “of approximately Ph800 million or about PHP160 million” coursed through Maynard Ngu.
Ngu, he said is a “close friend and campaign contributor of Senator Chiz Escudero.”
He said that “deliveries of cash were personally made by me to Maynard Ngu at his office in Manila.”
Bernardo said he also gave commissions to DepEd undersecretary Trygve Olaivar, a former staff of former senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Sonny Angara, who is now the secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd).
He said that “sometime 2024, Usec. Olaivar personally called me for a meeting to discuss about unprogrammed appropriations supposedly for the Office of the Executive Secretary. In the said meeting, he requested to submit a list of projects.”
He said a list of projects worth P2.85 billion was subsequently given to Olaivar, after which “the DPWH received a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for Ph2.85 billion for the projects.”
“Engr. (Henry) Alcantara from time to time would collect and deliver the agreed 15% commitment to me which I delivered or cause to be delivered to Usec. Olaivar in Magallanes, Makati and other places.”
Bernardo said he met with Revilla “sometime in the year 2024” during which he supposedly gave the former senator a list of projects submitted by Alcantara.
“Senator Revilla asked for a commission which I suggested and he then approved at 25% of the total amount of the projects indicated.”
“Engr. Alcantara collected the 25% commitment, or about PhP125 million, which was turned over to me and then delivered to Senator Revilla in his house in Cavite.”
Bernardo also said that he delivered a 15 percent “commitment,” which was about P37 million, to Binay “at a house in Quezon City.”
“Sometime in the year 2024, Carleen Villa, a staff and trusted confidant of Senator Binay, called me and asked for a commitment which was set at 15%,” he said.
Bernardo’s allegations were contained in his sworn affidavit that he submitted during the sixth hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
