Ex-DPWH Usec Bernardo implicates new names in flood control mess

MANILA, Philippines — Former Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo implicated a new mix of senators, former senators, and a sitting secretary in the flood control mess, alleging that the individuals likewise received kickbacks from DPWH projects.

In a supplemental affidavit he presented during the Senate panel on blue ribbon’s probe into anomalous flood control projects on Friday, Bernardo came clean and enumerated one by one the people involved in the scandal.

Bernardo reiterated what he had already disclosed in the previous hearings, naming the following among individuals who received commitments from DPWH projects: Bong Revilla, Nancy Binay, Chiz Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, Zaldy Co, Mitch Cajayon Uy, Rida Robes, Manuel Bonoan, and Cathy Cabral.

He then added new names, particularly ex-Sen. Grace Poe, Education Secretary Sonny Angara, and incumbent Sen. Mark Villar.

Mark Villar

As for Villar, Bernardo presumed that a relative of the senator supposedly received commitments from DPWH projects when the latter was still head of the agency. But there was no direct link or instance mentioned that could implicate both Villar and the said relative in the issue.

In 2016, Bernardo disclosed that he was appointed as Assistant Secretary of DPWH during the term of the then DPWH Sec. Villar.

“While I was Assistant Secretary for Operations, I was introduced to Carlo Aguilar, a cousin of Sec. Mark Villar,” said Bernardo.

At this point, Bernardo said that Usec. Cabral was already in service when he became an assistant secretary.

“As undersecretary for planning service, Usec. Cabral was working closely with Sec. Mark Villar for the allocation, listing, and budgeting of all the DPWH infrastructure projects,” he said.

With this, he alleged that Villar supposedly received commitments from DPWH projects when the latter was still head of the agency.

“The funding of all projects was cleared through Usec. Cabral for approval by Sec. Villar. From time to time, Usec. Cabral would ask me to submit [a] detailed list of projects regarding lump sum fund allocations of DPWH which she sometimes approves herself or forwards to Sec. Villar for approval,” said Bernardo.

“Among others, these include EDSA and other major road project applications, maintenance of creeks and waterways. The commission for these approved projects was 10 percent and divided as follows: 50 percent to Carlo Aguilar, presumably for Sec. Mark Villar; 25 percent for Usec Cabral; and 25 percent for myself,” he added.

Grace Poe

Among the other individuals he mentioned was a former Senate staffer, revealing in his bombshell exposé that former Sen. Grace Poe supposedly received 20 percent commitment from DPWH projects.

“Sometime, 3rd quarter of 2024… a staff of Sen. Grace Poe requested Sec. Bonoan through me if Sen. Grace Poe can be accommodated in the DPWH NEP. Sec. Bonoan told me there is a P500 million for Sen. Poe and instructed me to ask the senator for a list of projects,” said Bernardo.

According to Bernardo, JY Dela Rosa told him to coordinate the matter with Mrs. Patron, a contractor, and was later told by Mrs. Patron to prepare the list.

“Upon my instructions, Enge. Gerard Opulencia submitted a consolidated list of the following projects: one in Laguna and three in [the] National Capital Region,” said Bernardo.

Sonny Angara

Bernardo then noted that, thereafter, the list of projects was included in the National Expenditure Program by DPWH Sec. Manuel Bonoan through Usec. Cathy Cabral.

“Later on, the said projects appeared in the GAA for 2025. There was a 20 percent commitment for Sen. Grace Poe. Mrs Patron, a contractor, collected the commitment for Sen. Grace Poe at Diamond Hotel from one of my aides,” said Bernardo.

Sonny Angara and Undersecretary Usec. Trygve L. Olaivar

Bernardo also reiterated his allegation against Education Undersecretary Usec. Trygve L. Olaivar who allegedly received deliveries for then-Senator Sonny Angara.

“Aside from the details I had earlier mentioned in my affidavit dated September 25, Usec. Trygve and I also had transactions concerning Sen. Angara between 2019 and 2024, where Usec. Trygve received deliveries representing 12 percent of the project of Sen. Angara when he was chairman of finance,” said Bernardo.

Olaivar has already denied Bernardo’s allegation.

But as he had previously mentioned, Bernardo said Usec. Olaivar and he discussed the Unprogrammed Appropriations supposedly for the Office of the Executive Secretary.

“Thereafter, DPWH received a Special Allotment Release Order which included projects worth PP2.85 billion. The Contract IDs for the projects worth PP2.85 billion covered by the said SARO can be secured from the records of the DPWH Regional Office for Region III and the Ist District Engineering Office of Bulacan,” said Bernardo.

Moreover, he said that in the Unprogrammed Allocation for 2025, there could have been an additional P12 billion more or less, but he is still verifying it at the moment.

Bong Revilla

Bernardo said he has a close and friendly relationship with former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, explaining that they frequently meet in important social gatherings.

“Senator Revilla later on became a godparent of two of my daughters, while I became a godparent to one of his children,” he said.

Because of his close relationship with Revilla, Bernardo said the lawmaker asked for his assistance on several matters.

“Sometime in the third quarter of 2024, Revilla and I met, where he asked for a list of projects for funding ostensibly to help him in his national campaign. When Senator Revilla asked about the percentage of the commitment, I suggested either 20 percent or 25 percent, to which Senator Revilla said: 25 percent,” Bernardo recalled.

Soon thereafter, the former DPWH Undersecretary said he personally asked District Engineer Henry Alcantara and District Engineer, but later Regional Director for NCR, Engr. Gerard Opulencia to prepare a list of projects.

“I had the list of projects totaling P1.5 billion submitted by Engr. Henry and Engr. Gerard consolidated in one sheet of paper and gave the same to Senator Revilla in the third quarter of 2024,” said Bernardo.

“Sometime in the last quarter of 2024, Engr. Alcantara collected the 25 percent commitment of about P125 million and informed me that the same was ready for turnover through Engr. Gerard Opulencia,” he detailed.

Bernardo said he was told by Opulencia that the 25 percent commitment was already loaded into his vehicle.

“After receipt of the 25 percent commitment, which was packed in six cardboard boxes, each containing at least P20 million, and one paper bag containing P5 million, l called up Senator Revilla to inform him that the same is ready to be turned over to him,” said Bernardo.

It was December 2024 when he went to Revilla’s residence in Cavite.

“While the boxes were being unloaded, Senator Revilla and I talked for about 20 to 25 minutes. I asked him: Sen, bakit hindi ka nangangampanya?” Senalor Bong replied: Okay naman pare, maganda results ng survey. Relax muna,” said Bernardo.

He then noted that before the start of the campaign period for national elective positions, he also directed one of his aides to deliver another commitment amounting to P250 million to the residence of Senator Revilla at the White House compound, Aguinaldo Highway, Bacoor, Cavite.

Nancy Binay

Bernardo, during the hearing, likewise implicated former Sen. Nancy Binay, reiterating his previous expose.

According to him, Binay’s aide, whom he identified as Carleen Yap-Villa, is the one who transacted with him regarding the lawmaker’s projects and commitment.

“Sometime during the third to fourth quarter of 2022, Carleen requested on behalf of Sen. Binay for a list of projects worth around P1.882billion with 12 percent commitment,” said Bernardo.

With this, Bernardo said he received 3 percent of the P1.882 billion.

But sometime in the last quarter of 2023, Carleen again asked Sen. Binay for a list of projects for inclusion and funding under the 2024 GAA, which Bernardo said he provided with the help of Opulencia and Alcantara.

“The total list of projects initially amounted to P2.5 billion, but this was reduced to P1.672 billion,” said Bernardo.

“Apparently, some individual (or group) offered Senator Binay a higher amount of commitment of 15 percent instead of the previous 12 percent with a promise that the commitment would be released much earlier,” he added.

However, Bernardo said sometime later in December 2023, Carleen called him and requested a P50 million advance for Senator Binay’s use for the holiday season because the individual (or group) was unable to deliver on their promise.

Thereafter, Bernardo said he was told by Carleen that the senator is now expecting 15 percent commitment instead of 12 percent.

Jinggoy Estrada

Similar to his story about Revilla, Bernardo said he also has a close relationship with Estrada.

“Sometime in 2023, Sen. Jinggoy requested Sec. Bonoan, through me, for projects worth P500 million. Sec. Bonoan agreed to give P450million for the DPWH NCR Building, which Usec. Cathy Cabral included in the NEP for 2024 with an 18 percent commitment for Sen. Jinggoy,” said Bernardo.

Later on, sometime in the first quarter of 2025, Bernardo said Sen. Estrada once again asked him to get a 25 percent commitment for other DPWH projects.

“Alcantara then delivered to me the 25 percent commitment, approximately P213 million, which I delivered to Sen. Jinggoy at the Artiaga Building in San Juan City,” said Bernardo.

Chiz Escudero

Lastly, Bernardo reiterated his previous exposé that former Senate President Chiz Escudero received kickbacks from government projects.

“When Senator Chiz Escudero became Senate President in 2024, Maynard Ngu approached me and asked for a list of projects for Escudero,” said Bernardo.

Maynard Ngu is a tech-billionaire who eventually became a government envoy. He later became implicated in the mess after it came out that he donated P30 million to Escudero for the latter’s election campaign.

According to Bernardo, the complete list of projects for Escudero is worth P1.4 billion with 20 percent commitment.

“Sometime early 2025, I made the first delivery of P160 million for Senator Chiz Escudero at the Cherry Mobile building of Maynard Ngu in Apacible St., Manila,” said Bernardo.

“Thereafter, early 2025, 1 made the second delivery of P120 million for Escudero also at the Cherry Mobile building of Maynard Ngu,” he added.

Angara, Revilla, Estrada, and Escudero have all denied Bernardo’s allegation. Others have yet to issue a statement.

Angara simply said he rejects any insinuation made today that he was involved in anomalous projects.

“In my 21 years in government, we have never been involved in corruption,” said Angara.

Revilla’s camp, meanwhile, said Bernardo’s testimony should be taken with a grain of salt.

“There is an inherent danger in giving credence to the allegations of someone who has long undermined the law. Allowing a perpetrator to recast himself as a truth-teller does not strengthen our justice system; it compromises it,” said Revilla’s spokesperson, Atty. Maria Carissa Guinto.

Guinto said Bernardo’s bombshell testimony sends a message that one can commit crimes, betray the public trust, and later manipulate the legal process in exchange for immunity or favor.

“This development is disappointing but not surprising. Once again, Mr. Revilla is being subjected to political persecution by forces harboring ill will against him. He categorically denies all allegations against him,” said Guinto.

“These are outright fabrications intended to malign his reputation and to divert the attention of the public from the real culprits. Mr. Revilla will answer these accusations in the proper forum, where the truth is established through evidence rather than a persecution by publicity,” she added.

Estrada, for his part, denied all allegations made against him.

“The claim that I supposedly received a percentage from these projects is baseless, reckless, and unsupported by any credible evidence whatsoever,” said Estrada.

“I have always acted with integrity as a legislator, and I remain committed to transparency and accountability in all my public duties. I will pursue every available legal remedy against those who persist in spreading false, defamatory, and malicious statements,” he added.

Estrada underscored that the truth cannot be bent and in the end, it will always come out.

Lastly, Escudero—similar to what was stated by his present and former colleagues—said that the allegations against him are not new and have been denied and refuted before.

“There is no direct evidence presented in the testimony of Bernardo linking Senator Chiz to any criminal act. Speculations and insinuations are not evidence. These are at best hearsay, lack basis, and are self-serving statements that will not stand in any court of law,” said Escudero.

“We believe that these allegations are merely designed to besmirch and destroy Senator Chiz’s reputation, as well as that of the Senate. We are confident that the facts and evidence will vindicate Senator Chiz, show that these allegations against him are malicious and baseless, and prove that he is innocent,” he said. /cb