FORMER Bulacan first district assistant engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez presented during the House tri-committee inquiry on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, photos of a stack of cash set for distribution to “project proponents.”
Hernandez said he took photos of the stash of money since it was his first time to see a pile of cash on a table.
He said one photo was taken at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan First District Office, while the other one where the cash was placed on top of a billiard table was taken in their “tambayan,” which is located within the vicinity of the Bulacan First District Office.
Hernandez said the money was then distributed by his boss, dismissed DPWH Bulacan first district engineer Henry Alcantara, to several designated persons as kickbacks.
“As far as my knowledge is concerned, ibibigay po iyan sa tao, yun nga pong tinatawag na proponent na kausap niya (Alcantara),” he said.
(As far as I know, that will be given to the person -- the so-called proponent that he (Alcantara) was dealing with.)
In defense, Alcantara said the money belongs to his contractor friend who rented out his license to another firm for a government project.
“Ang tanda ko po diyan may mga kaibigan po na nakikigamit nung lisenysa nung ibang kontraktor, nagkatoon po na ‘yun po ay sabay-sabay na kolekta… isa dalawa tatlong magkakaibigan po dinala lang po doon,” he said.
(As far as I remember, some of my friends used the licenses of other contractors. It happened that they were collected together… one, two, three friends were just brought there.)
“Halimbawa po nagawa na po ‘yung project, ‘yung may lisensya po nakakolekta na ibibigay na po niya po sa mismong gumawa,” he added.
(For example, once the project was completed, the licensed person would collect and then give it directly to the one who actually did the work.)
Alcantara admitted that using a license of another construction firm for a project is illegal.
However, Lanao del Sur First District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong noted that payment for government projects no longer pass through the implementing agency but is directly being released to the contractors.
“The process of payment is that the payment is directly downloaded to the contractor’s account which is through Landbank of the Philippines,” he said.
Hernandez and former chief of the construction division at the Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office Engineer Jaypee Mendoza also presented photos of alleged conversations between Senator Joel Villanueva and Alcantara.
In their alleged exchange of timed Viber messages, Villanueva is supposedly complaining of low allocations for flood control projects in Bulacan.
“Parang sa summary po na ’yan, sinasabi ni Senator Joel na mababa lang ’yong kanyang pondo subalit siya ang Majority Floor Leader siya no’n that time and member siya ng Commission on Appointments (CA),” said Mendoza.
(From that summary, it seems Senator Joel said his funds were small, but at that time he was the Majority Floor Leader and a member of the Commission on Appointments (CA).)
Alcantara and Villanueva also apparently agreed to meet at JIL, which stands for “Jesus is Lord,” a school owned by the senator’s family in Bocaue, Bulacan.
Earlier in the hearing, Hernandez claimed that Villanueva and Senator Jinggoy Estrada are receiving kickbacks from flood projects in Bulacan.
He said the two are receiving at least 30 percent of the project cost as commission.
Hernandez claimed that Alcantara receives at least three percent commission for each project.
Hernandez and Mendoza also showed photos of Alcantara and Estrada as possible evidence of personal ties between the two personalities.
Alcantara earlier denied personal connections with either Estrada or Villanueva.
In the course of the inquiry, Alcantara also agreed to submit his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) but declined the request to sign a waiver that would allow access to his bank and phone records.
“Wala naman po akong tinatago pero siguro naman po it’s my right to reject yung request niyo (I’m not hiding anything, but I suppose it’s my right to reject your request),” said Alcantara. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)