Jinggoy, Villanueva kick back at flood control kickback claims
MANILA, Philippines — Sens. Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva strongly refuted the claims made against them by former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) official Brice Hernandez.
During the House probe on the flood control anomalies, former DPWH official Brice Hernandez implicated the two senators. Estrada allegedly received P355 million in kickbacks, while Villanueva allegedly got P600 million. The former DPWH executive asked the House not to return him to the Senate, where he was held in contempt and detained.
Estrada was quick to react, challenging Hernandez to a lie detector test.
“I will not allow this brazen attempt to smear my name to go unanswered. This will not pass quietly. Beyond the administrative and criminal liabilities he may face, I will ensure that Mr. Hernandez is held accountable for perjury and made to answer for his deliberate falsehoods before the proper judicial forum,” Estrada said in his privilege speech.
“Let this serve as a warning: lies have consequences, and I will pursue every legal remedy to make sure justice is served,” he added.
Villanueva also used his privilege speech as an opportunity to refute the accusations made against him. He reasoned that he had long raised the alarm on the ineffective flood control projects in his bailiwick of Bulacan.
The accused senator also said that he had vital affidavits from DPWH officials in Bulacan that he was about to present during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. However, he did not discuss the details of these affidavits.
Villanueva said he was more than willing to cooperate with any investigation, as he had nothing to hide.
“I will never betray my principle. I will never ever. I will never ever, Mr. President, destroy the name that was given to me by my parents because it is priceless,” Villanueva said.
He believed that Hernandez was a pawn, acting on behalf of a mastermind.
Villanueva said that there was a “Dracula” that was out for blood, alluding to a certain lawmaker in the House of Representatives.
Without naming names, Villanueva doubled down on Sen. Chiz Escudero’s speech. Escudero said that part of his legacy as Senate president was finally getting the name of House Speaker Martin Romualdez mentioned during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the flood control mess.
Romualdez has already thumbed down Escudero’s claim, however, saying that the statement is based on hearsay.
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