Ridon denies ties to ex-DPWH engineer who implicated Estrada in kickback scheme
MANILA, Philippines — After a former Bulacan assistant district engineer implicated Sen. Jinggoy Estrada in the alleged flood control kickback scheme, the senator fired back online at the chair of the House joint panel.
Estrada posted on Wednesday, September 10, old yearbook photos of the engineer alongside House Infra Committee Chair Rep. Terry Ridon (Bicol Saro Party-list), implying that the two had connections or were possibly colluding.
“Safe kaya tayo sa kanila? (Are we safe from them?)” Estrada said in a Facebook post.
Ridon, however, denied these insinuations. He said he could not even recall Brice Hernandez and stressed that they were never classmates.
“‘Di ko man lang maalala, 'di ko man lang naging kaklase si Brice sa Lourdes QC bago ako nagpuntang Ateneo,” Ridon said in a Facebook post Thursday.
(I don’t even remember, nor was I a classmate of Brice in Lourdes Quezon City before I went to Ateneo.)
In an ambush interview on Thursday, September 11, Ridon confirmed he was batchamtes with Hernandez but never his classmate.
He also quipped that he was only “Sexy 12 years old” in the yearbook photo, before pointing out that Estrada even shared his grandmother’s home address without permission by posting the photos online.
The lawmaker then took a swipe at Estrada, recalling how the senator allegedly threatened a former Ateneo High School batchmate in 2022 after the latter refused to support his Senate comeback.
"Medyo nakakatawa na inuungkat po ni Sen. Jinggoy Estrada ‘yung yearbook pictures ko noong 12 years old ako to make a connection to Brice Hernandez," Ridon said.
(It's quite funny that Sen. Jinggoy Estrada is unearthing my yearbook photos when I was 12 years old to make a connection to Brice Hernandez.)
What is more important, he said, is for Estrada to explain the pictures he had with dismissed Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara, who now faces complaints before the Ombudsman over anomalous flood control projects in the province.
Estrada, however, earlier dismissed the photos, saying it is only normal for him to have pictures with other officials. How could he deny those who ask for a photo with him, he said.
Ridon said the least the senator could do is take down the post.
Hernandez's claims
Hernandez earlier said Estrada was one of two senators who allegedly inserted millions into flood control projects in Bulacan’s First District, with a “commitment” or cut of 30%. Estrada supposedly funneled P355 million into projects in the city for 2025.
The engineer, who served as deputy to Alcantara, also presented photos at the House probe linking Estrada to his former chief.
He showed these after Alcantara denied having ties with politicians over the projects.
RELATED: DPWH engineer claims Estrada, Villanueva accepted 30% cut in flood control contracts
Estrada, however, “categorically and vehemently” dismissed the allegations, challenging Hernandez to a lie detector test.
The senator was convicted of bribery charges related to a pork barrel scam in January 2024. The Sandiganbayan, however, reversed its decision by August that year to acquit him due to insufficient evidence.
Hernandez, who admitted his involvement in the preparation of kickbacks for “proponent” politicians, was grilled in the Senate probe and cited in contempt and ordered detained for purportedly lying about using a fake driver’s license to go to casinos.
Detained
He also allegedly converted P659.9 million into casino chips and later redeemed P1.385 billion in cash, based on findings by Sen. Ping Lacson. Hernandez was likewise said to have won P189 million in under a year at a Pasay City casino.
Detained under the Senate’s custody, Hernandez had earlier appealed to the House not to be returned to the Senate before he implicated two senators, citing fears for his safety.
Minority senators pushed for his return, but instead, Hernandez was moved from the Philippine National Police’s custodial center to Pasay City Jail.
Committee chair Terry Ridon said Thursday it would have been better if Hernandez had remained under Senate custody, stressing that he is still a resource person and not an accused, and warning of threats to his life.
Hernandez now faces charges before the Ombudsman, after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) filed graft, malversation, falsification and procurement violations against him and several staff of the Bulacan First District engineering office.
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