DISMISSED Bulacan first district assistant engineer Brice Hernandez admitted on Thursday, September 18, 2025, involvement in ghost projects in the province.
During the resumption of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigation on anomalous flood control projects, Syms Construction Trading owner and manager Sally Santos said Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza, also a dismissed Bulacan first district assistant engineer, used her firm’s license in at least 41 anomalous infrastructure projects, including three alleged ghost flood control projects.
“Sinungaling po sila. Kasi po siyempre, nakapangalan po sa akin, iniwan po nila ang mga project, katulad po ng Piel, ‘yung binisita ng mahal nating pangulo, sa akin po iyon. Sila po ang gumawa non lisensya lang ang sa akin,” said Santos.
(They are lying. Because of course, it is under my name. They left the projects, like the one in Piel, the one our dear President visited -- that is mine. They were the ones who did it, but the license is under my name.)
“Ako kasi ang sasabit dito kaya ako po nagsasabi ng totoo dito. Andami pong project na kinuha po niyan, 41 projects lahat yon… Ang ghost ‘yung sa Perez at Piel. May sinasabi pa si (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon na hindi ko ma-locate kasi sa totoo lang po, kaya ako nandito, sila po nakakaalam ng mga location. Kahit project inspector po nila hindi po maituro sa akin kung ano ang mga proyektong ginawa nila,” she added.
(I will be the one held liable here, that’s why I am telling the truth. There are so many projects they took on, 41 projects in total… The ghost ones are in Perez and Piel. DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon even mentioned some that I cannot locate because, to be honest, that’s why I’m here -- they are the ones who know the locations. Even their project inspector cannot point out to me which projects they carried out.)
Santos said after the issue on anomalous flood control projects blew up, he called Hernandez to ask about the projects they implemented using her company’s license.
She said Hernandez told her that the construction of the project, particularly in Barangay Piel in Baliuag, which was found by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself as non-existent following an inspection, is ongoing.
Santos said she later find out that the local government unit ordered the suspension of the construction.
In last week’s hearing, Santos said she could have delivered up to P1 billion in cash to Hernandez's office from 2022 to the present.
She said that just last March 24, 2025, she delivered P457 million to Hernandez, P141 million on May 6, and P65 million on May 23.
This large sum of money is payment for projects supposedly implemented by Syms.
Santos said before delivering the cash to Hernandez, they get their three percent share for the use of their license.
Santos said that in the first week of September, Hernandez called her up, coaching her on what to tell the congressional inquiries.
“Tumawag nitong September, tumawag si Brice sa akin na sabi wag ako mag-alala na lahat ng project na kinuha sayo, gagawin naming, ako bahala sayo, bigyan kita abogado. Tutulungan kita,” she said.
(This September, Brice called me and told me not to worry, that all the projects taken from me would be done by them. He said, ‘I’ll take care of you, I’ll get you a lawyer. I’ll help you.’)
“Kung pwede sana ipakikiusap ko sayo wag ka muna magsalita, ituro mo ‘yung perang kinukuha namin sayo, pwede ba makiusap ituro mo si District Engineer Henry (Alcantara) na binibigay ko sa kanya pera, then binibigay kay Usec. Bernardo and then kay Zaldy Co,” she added.
(If possible, I’d like to ask you not to speak for now. Just point to the money we were getting from you. Could I ask you to say that it was District Engineer Henry (Alcantara) I gave the money to, and then he passed it on to Usec. Bernardo and then to Zaldy Co.)
Santos was referring to DPWH Undersecretary Robert Bernardo and former House Committee on Appropriations chairman and Ako Bicol party-list Representative Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co.
Hernandez and Mendoza denied having that phone conversation with Santos, but the latter showed the call record from her phone.
Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Panfilo “Ping” Lacson recalled one of his recent privilege speeches about the ghosts projects in Barangay Piel and Barangay Perez in Calumpit, Bulacan.
“Alam niyo kayo starring sa second privilege speech ko. ‘Yun naagkaroon ng notice of award, Syms ito ha… ‘yung litrato na sila rin ang may kagagawan ‘yung parehong picture para sa first project progress billing sa second and third. Diba ganyan ang modus operandi ninyo? Trabahong tamad na kayo eh, hindi man lang kayo magresearch ng konti, isang picture lang ang sinasabi ninyo, tapos pinababayaran ninyo kahit alam nyo namang hindi nyo ginawa,” he said.
(You know, you were the star in my second privilege speech. That notice of award -- this is Syms, huh… the photo, it was them again who did it, using the same picture for the first project progress billing in the second and third. Isn’t that your modus operandi? Lazy work -- you didn’t even bother to do a bit of research. You just used one photo and made it appear as if the work was done, then you asked for payment even though you knew you didn’t do it.)
“Wala na kayong pakialam kung mabubuko o hindi parang sobrang sige na para makakubra na tayo maski ano na lang, hindi man lang kayo nag-ingat na, kayo yan, ginamit nyo lisensya ng Syms pero kayo ang nag-implement,” he added.
(You no longer cared whether you would be exposed or not. It was all about rushing to collect the payment, whatever it takes. You didn’t even bother to be careful. That was you -- you used Syms’ license, but you were the ones who implemented the project.)
Lacson said it is a clear case of malversation of public funds through falsification of documents.
Hernandez admitted involvement in ghost projects, but explained that it was the order of their former boss, Alcantara.
“Inuutos po ni boss Henry na pakolektahin po ang mga project kasi po meron pong target na disbursement buwan-buwan na pagka hindi naubos ang pera, hindi makakakuha ng susunod na budget para sa susunod na buwan kaya sya po nagpapakolekta ng mga project kahit walang accomplishment at kulang accomplishment. Alam niya po lahat status ng mga project,” he said.
(Boss Henry instructed that the projects be collected because there is a monthly disbursement target. If the funds are not fully used, the next month’s budget cannot be released. That’s why he ordered the collection of projects even without accomplishments or with lacking accomplishments. He is fully aware of the status of all the projects.)
DPWH assistant engineer Arjay Domasig defended Alcantara when he tagged Hernandez as the “mastermind” in the anomalous projects.
“Ako po ‘yung naassign na project engineer, dinesignate ako ni Engineer Mendoza sa Piel at Perez Calumpit. Nung nadesignate na sa akin ito ang sabi po kaagad nila sila na daw po ang bahala kumbaga wag ko na daw pakialaman. Nangyayari ito nung project inspector pa lang po ako, ang project engineer si Engineer Paul, Jaypee at hepe si Brice. Sumusunod lang ako sa utos nila na wag ko na daw po pakialaman ang project,” he said.
(I was assigned as the project engineer, designated by Engineer Mendoza for the Piel and Perez projects in Calumpit. Once it was assigned to me, I was immediately told that they would handle it and that I shouldn’t intervene. This happened when I was still a project inspector, with Engineer Paul as project engineer, Jaypee involved, and Brice as the head. I was just following their orders not to interfere with the project.)
“Sabi nila sa akin pati sa ibang project engineer, sinasabi nila wag ipapaalam kahit kanino pati kay boss Henry,” he added.
(They told me, as well as other project engineers, not to inform anyone about it -- not even Boss Henry.)
Mendoza, for his part, said that some projects end up to be ghosts due to the SOPs, which include 25 to 30 for the project proponent, seven percent for tax, 8.5 percent for DPWH kickbacks, and three percent royalty fee, among others.
“Nasa 22 percent na lang matitira sa project (Only 22 percent of the project will remain),” he said.
Alcantara took exception for the claims of Hernandez and Mendoza.
“Bakit ‘yung ibang contractor na hindi under ng Syms, hindi under ng Wawao, natatapos ang project and ‘yung mga project po na yon ang naka-assign na project engineer hindi nila mga bata yon,” he said.
(Why do projects of other contractors -- not under Syms or Wawao -- get completed, while those projects assigned to our project engineers don’t, even though they’re not inexperienced?)
“Andami pong contractor doon na gumagawa, bakit natatapos po nila. Ibig ko pong sabihin, kung ang dahilan po eh ganon andami pong contractor na nakatapos ng project, maayos po tanging ‘yung lisensya lang ni Syms, Wawao. Meron naman project si Wawao, sarili niya, natapos naman niya,” he added.
(There are many contractors working there, so why are they able to finish their projects? What I mean is, if that were the reason, there are many contractors who completed their projects properly. Only Syms and Wawao’s licenses were used. Wawao even had his own project, and he was able to complete it.)
But Senator Erwin Tulfo shut down Alcantara’s attempt to come clean.
“Ang problema sayo kasi Mister Alcantara, ikaw ang hepe dapat iniinspeksyon mo. Pangalawa, wag mong sabihin na wala kang kinalaman. Nandoon ka sa limpak-limpak na pera na iniimpake. Sana tinanong mo saan galing ito, napakarami naman. Wag mo sabihin hulog ng langit yon. It must have come from somewhere, na illegal, kaya napakaraming pera. Kaya wag mo sabihin at wag ka magmamalinis dito na sila lang dahil ikaw ang hepe. Doon pa lang, nakita mo napakaraming pera, you should have stopped them,” he said.
(The problem with you, Mr. Alcantara, is that you are the chief — you should have been inspecting. Second, don’t say you’re not involved. There was a huge amount of money being piled up. You should have asked where it came from; it was a lot. Don’t say it fell from the sky. It must have come from somewhere, illegally, which is why there was so much money. So don’t claim innocence and don’t act like it’s only them because you’re the chief. Right there, seeing all that money, you should have stopped them.)
“Maging itong si Domasig, wag ka magpasanto-santo ng mukha diyan. Ano ka tanga? Engineer ka, hindi mo man lang sinumbong sa proper authorities. May chain of command. Ikaw Domasig, you could have went to Metro Manila sa office. Nagsabwatan kasi kayo dahil kumita kayo lahat,” he added.
(Even you, Domasig, don’t act all innocent there. Are you stupid? You’re an engineer, yet you didn’t report this to the proper authorities. There’s a chain of command. You, Domasig, could have gone to the office in Metro Manila. You all colluded because everyone profited.) (TPM/SunStar Philippines)