DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon has sought assistance from various government agencies for the list of properties of officials, employees and private contractors implicated in anomalous flood control projects.
Dizon wrote to the Land Transportation Office, Land Registration Authority, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and Maritime Industry Authority, among others, requesting a list of land properties, motor vehicles, water vessels and aircraft registered to DPWH officials, employees and private contractors, including:
Henry C. Alcantara, former officer-in-charge (OIC)-assistant regional director, Bulacan First District
Brice Ericson D. Hernandez, former OIC-district engineer, Bulacan First District
Jaypee D. Mendoza, former OIC-assistant district engineer, Bulacan First District
John Michael E. Ramos, chief, construction section, Bulacan First District
Ernesto C. Galang, planning and design section, Bulacan First District
Lorenzo A. Pagtalunan, OIC-chief, maintenance section, Bulacan First District
Norberto L. Santos, quality assurance and hydrology section, Bulacan First District
Jaime R. Hernandez, maintenance section
Floralyn Y. Simbulan, administrative section
Juanito C. Mendoza, formerly with the finance section
Roberto A. Roque, budget unit
Benedict J. Matawaran, procurement unit
Christina Mae D. Pineda, cashier II
Paul Jayson F. Duya, project engineer
Merg Jaron C. Laus, project engineer
Lemuel Ephraim C. Roque, project engineer
Arjay S. Domasig, project engineer
John Carlo C. Rivera, project engineer
John Benex S. Francisco, project engineer
Jolo Mari V. Tayao, project engineer II
Ma. Roma Angeline D. Rimando, St. Timothy Construction Corp.
Cezarah Rowena C. Discaya, St. Timothy Construction Corp.
Pacifico Discaya II, St. Timothy Construction Corp.
Mark Allan V. Arevalo, general manager, Wawao Builders
Sally N. Santos, owner/manager, SYMS Construction Trading
Robert T. Imperio, owner/manager, IM Construction Corp.
“This request was made to prevent the dissipation, removal, or disposal of properties strongly suspected to be the proceeds of, or related to, unlawful activities, as defined under Section 3(i) of RA No. 9160, as amended. Such preemptive action is necessary to safeguard assets from disposal and ensure that ongoing government efforts to combat corruption and money laundering are not undermined,” Dizon said in his letter.
The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) earlier granted the Court of Appeals’ request to freeze the bank accounts of several individuals linked to the flood control anomalies.
The order covers 135 bank accounts and 27 insurance policies.
Among them are Alcantara, Hernandez, Mendoza, Ramos, Galang, Pagtalunan, Santos, Jaime Hernandez, Simbulan, Juanito Mendoza, Roque, Matawaran, Pineda, Duya, Laus, Roque, Domasig, Rivera, Francisco and Tayao.
Also included were contractors such as Rimando, Sarah Discaya and Pacifico Discaya II of St. Timothy Construction Corp.; Arevalo of Wawao Builders; Santos of SYMS Construction Trading; and Imperio of IM Construction Corp.
AMLC Executive Director Matthew David said the purpose of the freeze order is to establish that the accounts, insurance policies and other properties are tied to unlawful activities, particularly corruption, violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, or malversation.
“We have yet to file cases for civil forfeiture against these and other assets we may discover, along with a separate money laundering case involving those identified by Secretary Vince in the corruption scheme,” David said.
On September 11, the DPWH and the Commission on Audit (COA) filed graft complaints with the Office of the Ombudsman against 20 district engineers and four private contractors tied to anomalous flood control projects in Bulacan.
On September 18, the DPWH and COA submitted the second batch of fraud audit reports on ghost projects, particularly in Plaridel, Bulacan.
“In the second batch of fraud audit referrals, those liable in the ghost project at Angat River, Barangay Sipat, Plaridel, Bulacan, were former District Engineer Henry C. Alcantara, Engr. Ernesto C. Galang and Mark Allan V. Arevalo of Wawao Builders,” Dizon said.
“This is infuriating. This is the first time I’ve seen such brazen abuse. They thought they were untouchable, that they would never be caught or held accountable,” he added.
During the resumption of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s probe into the projects, Hernandez and Mendoza admitted involvement in ghost projects in Bulacan’s First District, saying they only acted on orders from their former boss, Alcantara.
Hernandez said they rented out a contractor’s license to carry out the project and paid a three percent royalty fee.
He said 40 percent of the profit from the ghost project goes to Alcantara while 20 percent for each of them, assistant engineers. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)