Senate president pro tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said on Friday the delivery of P663 million in cash to now-sacked Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineer Brice Ericsson Hernandez may implicate higher-level officials in a massive flood control project corruption scheme.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigated whether unexplained huge cash deliveries to public works engineers are evidence of a large-scale corruption scheme, potentially involving officials form DPWH the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and lawmakers.
Contractor Sally Santos, owner of SYMS Construction, testified she delivered a total of P663 million in cash this year to Hernandez on three occasions: P457 million on March 24; P141 million on May 6; and P65 million on May 23.
Hernandez confirmed receiving the money from Santos but claimed he turned it over to his “boss” former DPWH Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara.
Alcantara denied receiving any money from Hernandez.
“Why would a contractor deliver cash to the district engineering office when it should be the other way around?” Lacson asked, calling the transactions “anomalous.”
He suggested Santos may have been paid for uncompleted projects only to return the cash to Hernandez, indicating a kickback scheme.
Lacson said the high volume of money suggests Hernandez was not acting alone and may be protecting “bigger players.”
He pointed to the refusal of Alcantara to cooperate as a sign he is “obviously protecting someone.”
The senator also hinted the corruption may extend beyond the DPWH.
In a radio interview, Lacson was asked if insiders at the DBM, which recommends the release of funds for projects like flood control, were involved. He replied, “You can suspect that.”
Lacson traced the ultimate source of the problem to Congress itself.
“The seed of all this is Congress,” Lacson said, blaming “greedy and brazen” lawmakers for making budget insertions that create opportunities for corruption.
Lacson vowed to continue the investigation based on evidence, not public pressure, saying, “I will not be distracted. We go where the evidence takes us.”
