(UPDATE) EVERY public works project in Bulacan since 2019 was compromised by corruption, a whistleblower told senators Monday, saying that classrooms, hospitals, bridges, flood control structures, and even streetlights were delivered far below specifications because funds were routinely divided among politicians, contractors, and officials before construction even began.
Testifying before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, Brice Hernandez, a former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineer, admitted that not a single project under his office met its design specificaitons.
“None of the projects matched what was specified in the plan,” Hernandez said under questioning. Asked by senators whether any project was ever built without kickbacks, he replied: “None, your honor. Not a single one.”
He said the arrangement began in 2019 when then-Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara assumed his post and continued until today.
Hernandez said every project followed a predictable cycle: once listed and approved, a fixed percentage of the project’s allocation was immediately deducted and split among politicians and facilitators. The depleted funds, he said, forced contractors to cut corners on materials and workmanship.
The testimony corroborated Alcantara’s sworn affidavit, earlier submitted to the Department of Justice (DOJ), which detailed how lawmakers and other intermediaries allegedly received cuts from...
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