Bulacan DPWH projects ‘substandard’ — ex-aide
MANILA, Philippines — Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez admitted on Tuesday that the kickback schemes in Bulacan's First District lead to substandard infrastructures and inflated project costs.
During the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's hearing on anomalous flood control projects, Hernandez, who first tagged senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada in kickback schemes, admitted that no proper project came through their office.
Replying to Sen. Bam Aquino’s questioning, Hernandez said that the projects were substandard because there were obligations to other people.
“Hindi po tumatama sa plano na nakadesign talaga para dito,” Hernandez said. (The plans do not follow the designs meant for them.)
This practice, added Hernandez, began in 2019, when sacked DPWH district engineer Henry Alcantara assumed office.
An example of a substandard project would involve buying concrete that should be dry within seven days, and usable within three days. Instead, Hernandez said that would buy concrete that took longer to set because it was cheaper.
DPWH officials would also reduce the quantity of the materials they bought, the former assitant district engineer added.
However, Hernandez would backpedal a bit, saying that his definition of substandard did not necessarily mean that the structures they built would easily crumble.
After being questioned by Sen. Erwin Tulfo by the quality of buildings, Hernandez explained that the price of the projects they would bid out was much higher than the actual cost.
A school building that would cost P50 million to make for example, would cost up to P60 million, with the additional P10 million being handed back to the project’s proponents.
For his part, sacked DPWH engineer Jaypee Mendoza insisted that the projects were still structurally sound however.
For example, a space that is 2x2 will have its price be inflated to that of space worth 4x4.
Former DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan, who was present in the hearing, said he was surprised at these revelations.
“I don't know what to say, your Honor. Right now, this is the first time that I have heard about all these shenanigans that they're doing actually in this district engineering office. They're supposed to monitor,” Bonoan said.
Bonoan, however, has already been tagged in some of these kickback schemes, particularly one with Villanueva.
Villanueva was alleged to have received a percentage in a P600 million budget insertion in 2023.
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