MANILA, Philippines — Incumbent and former senators issued a flurry of denials after they were implicated by former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Roberto Bernardo in the flood control corruption scandal.
Senators Mark Villar, Jinggoy Estrada and Francis Escudero as well as former senators Grace Poe, (now Makati mayor) Nancy Binay and (now Education Secretary) Sonny Angara have all denied getting kickbacks from their projects.
“I vehemently and categorically deny the accusations made today in the Blue Ribbon committee. Isa po itong malaking kasinungalingan,” Villar said of Bernardo’s allegation that he used his position as then DPWH secretary to favor his contractor cousin Carlo Aguilar.
Villar urged the public to be “more discerning and not to rush judgment” based on Bernardo’s affidavit, “which may be manufactured or tailored fit for his or other people’s convenience.”
“I stand by my untarnished record as a long-serving public servant as a representative, DPWH secretary and senator of this Republic,” Villar said.
Poe said she is “saddened by all the recent news” and that she “trust(s) that the Department of Justice will look into this string of accusations.”
Poe said she supports the flood control corruption probe, which was why she was “the first” to attend the hearings conducted by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure.
“It’s alarming that my name was mentioned today. I have never been involved in corruption; this I can clearly say to all Filipinos,” Poe said.
Bernardo in his affidavit alleged that a “staff” of Poe – a certain “J.Y. Dela Rosa” – requested from then DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan P500 million worth of projects to be implemented by a certain contractor “Mrs. Patron.”
A DPWH engineer, Gerard Opulencia, prepared the list of Poe’s alleged projects in Laguna and Metro Manila, inserted in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) and successfully approved in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
Bernardo said “there was a 20 percent commitment for Poe” that was “collected” by Patron at Diamond Hotel in Manila.
Mayor Binay insisted that she has no knowledge of or role in any flood control project and none of her employees at the Senate can do what she is being charged with.
Bernardo alleged that Binay received 15 percent or P468-million commission from her P3.12-billion projects through her alleged aide Carleen Yap-Villa.
Bernardo alleged he did not profit from Binay’s P3.12 billion projects in the 2025 GAA.
It was Yap-Villa who “transacted with me regarding (Binay’s) projects and commitment,” Bernardo said, adding that she would receive the kickbacks “in several tranches in Makati and Quezon City.”
In one alleged cash delivery, Bernardo said Yap-Villa told him that “Sir” already received it, thanked him and he would not be forgotten in Makati.
Bernardo said the “Sir” referred to is Binay’s husband.
Secretary Angara for his part said he “reject(s) any insinuation made today that we were involved in anomalous projects.”
Bernardo said that during the time that Angara was Senate finance committee chair, the then senator allegedly received 12 percent commitment from his projects through Trygve Olaivar, now undersecretary for DepEd. Olaivar – who is on leave – denied the allegation.
Bernardo also gave a more detailed account of his alleged dealings with Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and former senator Ramon Revilla Jr., whom he described as his “close friends.”
Bernardo said Estrada in 2023 requested from him and Bonoan P500 million worth of projects.
Estrada was assured of an “18 percent commitment” in his P450-million “DPWH NCR building” project in the 2024 NEP that was inserted by resigned DPWH undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, Bernardo said.
The next year, Bernardo said he received a call from Estrada, who told him to request from Bonoan P1 billion worth of projects, for which he agreed to a 25 percent commission.
But instead of a P1-billion price tag, only P500 million worth of Estrada’s projects were inserted in the 2025 NEP. This prompted another call to Bernardo by Estrada, who asked about the P500-million discrepancy.
Bonoan assured Estrada that he will “prioritize” the senator’s remaining P500-million projects “as soon as there is available funding,” Bernardo said.
In the House of Representatives-approved General Appropriations Bill, Estrada was given an additional P200 million worth of projects, but the senator still asked Bonoan to find a way to complete his P1-billion demand and fund the remaining P300 million.
In the end, Estrada was given an additional P750 million in projects during the bicameral conference committee, the stage of the budget where lawmakers take advantage of the closed-door sessions to insert funding for their pet projects.
This means Estrada has a “more or less” P1.45 billion worth of projects in the final version of the 2025 budget, the General Appropriations Act that was signed into law by the President.
Engineer Opulencia allegedly delivered Estrada’s “25 percent commitment” worth P360 million to Diamond Hotel in Manila, Bernardo said, adding that he even “tasked” his driver to “deliver the boxes” to Estrada himself “at the Artiaga Building in San Juan City.”
On a separate occasion, Bernardo said Estrada during the 2024 budget deliberations asked about at least P355 million worth of projects for the Bulacan first district engineering office in the proposed 2025 budget.
Dismissed district engineer Henry Alcantara then prepared a list of projects for Estrada for which he has a 25 percent commitment. Bernardo said he personally delivered the P213-million commission to Estrada in San Juan City.
In a statement, Estrada said he “vehemently denies the allegations linking me to any flood control project” and that “the claim that I supposedly received a ‘percentage’ from these projects is baseless, reckless and unsupported by any credible evidence whatsoever.”
Bernardo said Revilla is a godparent of his two daughters and Bernardo is also a godparent to one of Revilla’s children.
“Because of our close relationship, senator Revilla had asked for my assistance on several matters which I can no longer exactly recall at the moment,” Bernardo said.
Bernardo said Revilla asked for a 25 percent commission from his projects, for which P125-million “commitment” was delivered to Revilla’s residence by Bernardo himself.
Bernardo said he delivered the kickbacks – “packed in six cardboard boxes, each containing at least P20 million, and one paper bag containing P5 million” – to Revilla’s residence sometime December 2024.
This was also during Revilla’s senatorial campaign in the May midterm elections, which he lost, landing 14th.
In his “casual talk” with Revilla “while the boxes were being unloaded,” Bernardo said they talked for 25 minutes and asked Revilla why he wasn’t campaigning.
The former senator said the survey results were good. “Relax muna,” he added.
Revilla has not personally responded to Bernardo’s latest allegation. But in a statement, his spokesperson Maria Carissa Guinto said “Bernardo’s testimony should be taken with a grain of salt” and that “there is an inherent danger in giving credence to the allegations of someone who has long undermined the law.”
“This development is disappointing but not surprising. Once again, Mr. Revilla is being subjected to political persecution by forces harboring ill will against him,” Guinto said.
Bernardo also detailed his alleged dealings with former Senate president Sen. Francis Escudero.
He said Escudero, through tech billionaire Maynard Ngu, received P280 million as part of his “20 percent commitment” from his P1.4-billion projects in Valenzuela city, Quezon City, Marinduque and Oriental Mindoro.
Bernardo described Ngu as a “familiar figure in socio-political circles” for donating to politicians during election season. He said he “and other DPWH officials assisted Ngu in raising campaign funds.”
“These frequent interactions with Ngu at the Cork helped in building our mutual trust with each other, especially in favor of Senator Escudero, whose interests Ngu was actively promoting,” Bernardo said.
Ngu served as President Marcos’ special envoy to China for trade, investments and tourism. His term expired in August and was not renewed, according to Malacañang.
Ngu is also the chief executive officer of Cosmic Technologies, the company behind Chery Mobile.
In a statement, his counsel Ramon Esguerra said Bernardo’s allegations “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,” Esguerra said.
Esguerra said Bernardo’s allegations “are merely designed to besmirch and destroy Senator Chiz’s reputation, as well as that of the Senate.” — Marc Jayson Cayabyab