MANILA, Philippines —The Department of Justice (DOJ) expects to recover up to P1.5 billion from four individuals who have been admitted under the Witness Protection Program (WPP) in connection with alleged anomalies in government flood control projects.
Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, former DPWH Bulacan First District engineer Henry Alcantara, former DPWH NCR Regional Director Gerard Opulencia, and government contractor Sally Santos have returned a combined total of P316 million to the government, with Alcantara remitting the largest at P181 million, said DOJ Secretary Fredderick Vida.
Bernardo has partially refunded an amount sourced from the sale of his property, while his bank accounts remained frozen. Additional payments are expected before the end of January.
Vida said that being state witnesses allowed them to avoid criminal liability only for cases directly linked to their testimonies. He emphasized this did not grant immunity for all possible cases, particularly those involving alleged “ghost projects” where payments were made but the projects were never implemented.
On the other hand, two former subordinates of Alcantara at the DPWH Bulacan office, Bryce Hernandez and JP Mendoza, did not qualify for the WPP.
Vida said there was currently no sufficient basis to discharge Hernandez and Mendoza from criminal liability. However, officials noted that this did not preclude the possibility of considering their testimonies or evidence should future cases arise where their cooperation may be deemed necessary.
