Jinggoy, Joel not yet off the hook – Lacson

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson yesterday said Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva are not yet off the hook in the alleged misuse of project funds for flood control.

Lacson said he gave the two all the time they needed to defend themselves and confront their accuser, sacked Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) district engineer Brice Hernandez, who alleged they received 30 percent kickbacks from their Bulacan flood control projects.

Hernandez alleged Estrada has P355 million worth of flood control projects in 2025 while Villanueva had P600-million projects in 2023.

“By any measure, Senators Villanueva and Estrada have not been cleared, at least on the issue of budget insertions involving infrastructure projects in Bulacan,” Lacson said.

Lacson said Estrada’s alleged Bulacan projects can be found in the 2025 General Appropriations Act. Villanueva’s meanwhile may have been funded by unprogrammed funds in the 2023 GAA.

He made the statement after Villanueva’s office released a quote attributed to him during Thursday’s Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing saying he could not find the alleged P600-million project in the GAA.

“It is a person’s basic right to confront his accuser. In case you didn’t notice, I did not clear the two senators on the issue of budget insertions because the budget books validate Brice Hernandez’s allegations, based on my own staff’s research, at least in the case of Sen. Estrada,” Lacson said.

It will also be up to Estrada and Villanueva if they want to excuse themselves from ongoing flood control investigation of the Blue Ribbon, Lacson said during an interview with “Storycon” on One News yesterday.

“It is an issue of delicadeza. If they want to inhibit or recuse themselves, then it’s their call,” he said.

“If they don’t and they want to continue questioning (the resource persons), then I cannot force them also not to interpellate because they are members of the Blue Ribbon committee. It’s their call,” he added.

Evidence

According to Lacson, Senate President Vicente Sotto III has approved his recommendation allowing Hernandez to leave the Senate premises to supposedly gather evidence to back his claims.

Hernandez is detained at the Senate after he was cited in contempt during an earlier hearing of the Blue Ribbon committee.

Lacson said the former DPWH engineer was given a 12-hour pass, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., although the actual date is still not confirmed.

Meanwhile, if Hernandez is able to produce evidence against Estrada, Villanueva or other officials supposedly involved in the corruption scheme, Lacson said he will forward these to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure. — Janvic Mateo