Dismissed Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan first district engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez appeared before an Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) hearing on Friday.
He surrendered a luxury vehicle as part of an ongoing probe into suspected irregular infrastructure projects.
ICI Chairman Andres Reyes Jr. said Hernandez’s surrender of the vehicle was a “sign of good faith” and shows his willingness to cooperate with the investigation.
Reyes said Hernandez also promised to surrender his other sports utility vehicles (SUVs).
He said the ICI summoned Hernandez to explain his disclosures on alleged contractor payoffs to DPWH officials and lawmakers, and on “ghost” and substandard flood control projects in Bulacan.
Reyes said the commission is investigating Hernandez’s recent testimonies before the Senate and House committees.
Reyes said Hernandez has been fully cooperative from the start.
“As a sign of good faith and his willingness to further cooperate with the Commission, Mr. Hernandez is voluntarily surrendering one of his luxury vehicles to the Commission, and others to follow,” Reyes said.
The commission has not yet announced a date for the next hearing.
Hernandez alleged during the House Infrastructure Committee hearing on Sept. 9 that he gave kickbacks to a bagman of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who supposedly got a 30 percent commission from P355 million worth of flood control projects contracts this year.
Sen. Joel Villanueva was also named by Hernandez as the supposed recipient of a 30 percent commission from flood control projects worth P600 million in 2023.
Hernandez alleged that the two senators’ cuts were funneled through his former boss, former DPWH Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara.
The two senators and Alcantara have denied the allegations.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. established the ICI through Executive Order 94 to investigate suspected anomalous infrastructure projects in the past decade, beginning with flood control projects.
