Former DPWH Engineer Henry Alcantara Testifies on Alleged Kickbacks in Flood Control Projects

Former Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara broke his silence on Tuesday during a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, testifying on alleged budget insertions and kickbacks that involved several lawmakers and officials. Among those named were Senators Joel Villanueva, Jinggoy Estrada, former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., and Ako Bicol Representative Zaldy Co. Alcantara also identified former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Robert Bernardo as his superior in connection with the controversial flood control projects.

Allegations Against Revilla

Alcantara recounted that Bernardo directly informed him of budget allocations tied to Revilla’s political plans. “According to Undersecretary Bernardo, the General Appropriations Act (GAA) insertions in 2024 amounting to ₱300 million were for Sen. Bong Revilla, who at that time was running for senator for 2025. Undersecretary Bernardo told me: ‘Henry, that’s for Senator Bong, maybe you’d like to help him,’” Alcantara said. The testimony marked Revilla as one of the figures allegedly benefiting from infrastructure allocations that, according to Alcantara, were tied to questionable funding practices.

Testimony Involving Senator Villanueva

Alcantara also detailed transactions linked to Sen. Joel Villanueva, noting that in 2022, Villanueva requested a ₱1.5 billion multipurpose building project. However, only ₱600 million was granted, prompting Bernardo to devise another approach. “Senator Joel did not ask for a specific project or percentage, but Undersecretary Bernardo ordered that he instead be given a project equivalent to 25 percent or ₱150 million with a designated proponent,” Alcantara testified. He added that Villanueva eventually received unprogrammed appropriations in 2023 amounting to ₱600 million, all of which were tied to flood control projects. Alcantara emphasized that Villanueva did not know the funds were specifically for flood control projects, asserting that the senator had not shown interest in such programs. Alcantara also described an incident where he personally delivered ₱150 million to Villanueva’s employee, identified only as Peng, at a rest house in Bulacan. “I told Peng to give it to the boss. It’s just some aid for his future plans. They did not know that it came from a flood control project,” he said. According to Alcantara, he had no further contact with Peng after the handoff.

Estrada’s Name Surfaces

In his testimony, Alcantara also mentioned Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, citing discussions during the 2024 budget hearing. “I was with Undersecretary Bernardo when he asked me if I still wanted to add anything since there was still ₱355 million available — according to Undersecretary Bernardo, it was for SJE,” Alcantara recalled. However, he clarified that he had no direct communication with Estrada himself, suggesting that Bernardo facilitated the alleged arrangements.

Allegations Against Representative Zaldy Co

Beyond the senators, Alcantara implicated Ako Bicol Representative Zaldy Co, citing a meeting in September 2021 at Shangri-La in Bonifacio. “We were able to talk there about the plan of Cong. Zaldy to try to get funds into my district for various projects,” Alcantara testified. The following month, Alcantara submitted a list of proposed projects, mostly tied to flood control. These projects later appeared in the GAA of 2022, including six initial projects worth approximately ₱519 million. Alcantara stated that from 2022 to 2025, Co continued to be a proponent of flood control projects in the Bulacan First District. Based on records, Alcantara estimated the total cost of these projects to be not less than ₱35 billion.

Broader Implications

Alcantara’s testimony directly links high-profile lawmakers to controversial budget allocations and alleged kickbacks within the DPWH’s flood control projects. His statements point to systemic issues in the management of infrastructure funds, with billions of pesos in taxpayer money tied to projects allegedly driven by political interests rather than public needs. The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee continues its probe into these allegations, with Alcantara’s detailed statements likely to shape the course of the investigation in the coming weeks.