SENATORS Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada said they are willing to sign bank secrecy waivers to dispute the claims of a former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) official that they are receiving kickbacks from flood control projects in Bulacan.
During a plenary session and an interview with members of the media, Estrada and Villanueva, respectively, reiterated their innocence in the anomalous flood control projects in the province.
They said they are willing to sign waivers to have their bank accounts open to scrutiny.
“I am open to any investigation. In fact... I am willing to sign any waiver to open my bank accounts. Let me put that on record,” Estrada said.
“Definitely, ever since, I’m open,” Villanueva told reporters.
During the resumption of the House Joint Committees on Public Accounts, Public Works and Highways, and Good Government and Public Accountability inquiry into anomalous flood control projects on September 9, dismissed DPWH assistant engineer Brice Hernandez claimed that Estrada and Villanueva received 30 percent of the project cost from government flood projects.
Hernandez said in 2023, Villanueva funneled P600 million public funds to flood control projects in the municipalities of Bocaue and Balagtas, both among the flood-prone towns of the province.
Villanueva hailed from Bocaue, the next town from Balagtas.
Hernandez said Estrada downloaded P355 million flood-mitigating project funds in the city of Malolos, and Hagonoy and Calumpit towns in Bulacan.
Hernandez said Villanueva and Estrada both received 30 percent of project costs when the budget appeared in the General Appropriations Act (GAA).
He said the kickbacks were delivered to the lawmakers in cash.
Earlier, Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said there was indeed a P355 million worth of insertions in the 2025 national budget, which was allocated for five flood control projects in the province of Bulacan.
He said it was not in the 2025 National Expenditures Program (NEP) or in the House General Appropriations Bill (GAB), which means it was either inserted in the Senate or the Bicam version.
The Senate and the House of Representatives have launched their respective investigation on anomalous flood control projects following the order of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the conduct of an intensive probe into the irregularities involving flood control funds in light of massive flooding that continue to submerge communities during rainy season. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)