ICI includes 3 more current, former senators in cases

MANILA, Philippines — The Independent Commission for Infrastructure will recommend charges against “at least” three more incumbent and former senators, ICI chair Andres Reyes Jr. said yesterday, without disclosing their identities.

The ICI has already sought plunder and bribery cases against Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva over the anomalies in Bulacan’s first district engineering office.

Asked if the new senators involved are different from Estrada and Villanueva, Reyes said “yes.”

As for congressional representatives, Reyes said it’s “premature” at the moment to divulge their names.

Senators are the highest-ranking officials that the ICI has endorsed for corruption-related charges before the Office of the Ombudsman. During the congressional probes in the previous months, five senators have been implicated by public works officials in the flood control scam.

Former Bulacan first district assistant engineer Brice Hernandez first accused Estrada and Villanueva during the House infrastructure committee’s hearing on Sept. 9. Hernandez alleged that both senators received 30 percent “SOP” from flood control projects.

Then, on Sept. 25, former public works undersecretary Roberto Bernardo dropped a bombshell at the upper chamber’s own turf: Sen. Chiz Escudero and former senators Bong Revilla and Nancy Binay reportedly also funneled kickbacks from flood works. All tagged senators deny the allegations.

Ghost project in Hagonoy

The ICI made its fifth referral to the Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday, recommending a slew of charges against former top officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) over a ghost project in Hagonoy, Bulacan.

Six officials from the Bulacan first district engineering office—including Henry Alcantara and Hernandez—and the owner of Darcy and Anna Builders and Trading are alleged to have committed malversation of public funds and falsification by a public officer, and violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the Government Procurement Act, and Presidential Decree 1759.

Former DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan, undersecretaries Roberto Bernardo and Maria Catalina Cabral and six others should face administrative charges for grave misconduct, gross dishonesty, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and violations of the code of conduct for public officers, according to the ICI.

At the heart of this referral is a P74-million riverbank protection structure in Barangay Carillo, Hagonoy, that turned out to be non-existent.

Construction for the project—featuring a 15-meter front and 12-meter back steel sheet piles with a length of 161.20 linear meters—should have commenced by Feb. 7, 2024, but three weeks after that, there was no structure built, according to Google historical images.

Even in the latest aerial image taken at coordinates 14.8607322 north and 120.7665879 east on Oct. 15, no riverbank protection structure was found.

“For emphasis, no construction was undertaken during or after the construction period,” the ICI stated in its interim report.

Despite this, the cash flow diagram shows that the project was completed eight months after construction commenced.

“The DPWH officials of the Bulacan first district engineering office appear to have… conspired with Darcy and Anna Builders and Trading to facilitate the release of government funds for a purportedly completed project which, in truth, was never implemented,” the ICI explained.

Still no livestream

Meanwhile, it’s still uncertain when the public will be able to watch a livestream of the ICI’s hearings.

Reyes said the commission is still studying the rules governing it and will possibly provide an update on their progress by next week.

But what will the ICI do as Bernardo is set to appear before them on Monday?

“I think we might ask the person if he wants a livestream,” Reyes said. “These are potential witnesses, and if they feel harm or threat to their safety, we might ask for that.”

Reyes has dismissed claims that the fact-finding body is do- ing favors for the administration.

He also responded to claims that his supposed favoritism stems from the fact that he is a Marcos supporter.

In another development, thePhilippine National Police has joined the ICI and other key agencies in a nationwide effort to investigate and prosecute “ghost” flood control and infrastructure projects. –  Mark Ernest Villeza