THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has recommended the filing of charges for indirect bribery and malversation of public funds against several personalities implicated by dismissed Bulacan first district engineer Henry Alcantara into the anomalous flood control projects.
During the resumption of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigation on the anomalous flood control projects, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the NBI recommended the filing of the charges against Alcantara, Senator Joel Villanueva, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co, former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, and Caloocan Second District Representative Mary Mitzi “Mitch” Cajayon-Uy.
Remulla said the charges were based on the affidavit submitted by Alcantara on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
He said the Anti-Money Laundering Council is also looking into Alcantara’s affidavit.
“They already started acting on this because it is already a filed complaint with the DOJ. Given that, I believe freeze orders have been issued already by the AMLC over the bank accounts of many people,” said Remulla.
During the hearing, Alcantara confirmed delivering around P8.75 billion to Co from 2022 to 2025 as commission for funneling fundings for infrastructure projects, mostly for flood control in Bulacan 1st DEO.
He said Bernardo started downloading funds to Bulacan 1st DEO in 2022 with an agreement of 25 percent commission for the proponent of each project.
Alcantara said he is not aware who the proponents were, as he instructs the delivery of the obligations directly to Bernardo.
He said from 2022 to 2025, Bernardo downloaded around P7.45 billion to Bulacan 1st DEO.
While he denied having direct transactions with Estrada, Alcantara said during the budget hearing in 2024, Bernardo asked him if he has more projects that need funding since the senator still has P355 million available for allocation.
Alcantara said he also delivered P150 million to Villanueva to make up for his demand for a P1.5 billion worth of project for multipurpose building in Bulacan that was not fully granted by Bernardo.
He admitted, however, that Villanueva is not aware that the funds came from flood control project allocation.
Alcantara also tagged Cajayon-Uy in the scheme involving infrastructure budget, saying she received 10 percent of the P411 million, which was inserted in the 2022 GAA that was downloaded to Bulacan 1st DEO. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)