Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Students and youth groups walk out of classes as part of the Black Friday protest at the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City on Friday, September 12, 2025, to denounce corruption in government projects. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17618158853361761815884767.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Students and youth groups walk out of classes as part of the Black Friday protest at the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City on Friday, September 12, 2025, to denounce corruption in government projects. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA (UPDATED) — It is not the “Ikulong Na Yan, Mga Kurakot” that protesters and citizens have been calling for but the Independent Commission for Infrastructure on Wednesday forwarded an interim report of its probe into the flood-control corruption controversy to the Office of the Ombudsman.</p><p>Included in the report are recommendations of possible raps against “persons potentially responsible” in graft and corruption in flood-control projects found to be irregular, substandard and even non-existent.</p><p>The report is based on testimony and affidavits from former Department of Public Works and Highways officials Henry Alcantara, Brice Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza as well as from testimony given at Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/29/-ici-recommends-raps-vs-jinggoy-villanueva-co-other-execs-over-flood-control-scandal-1206"><strong>ICI recommends criminal, admin raps vs Villanueva, Estrada, Co, other execs over flood control scandal</strong></a></div><p>Here&#x27;s a quick look at the “persons potentially responsible” named and how they are allegedly connected to the controversy.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>FORMER DPWH UNDERSECRETARY ROBERTO BERNARDO</strong></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1761814260225images.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><p>Bernardo and Alcantara were colleagues in the Laguna 1st District Engineering Office in the 1990s and as both climbed up the ranks of the DPWH, Bernardo helped Alcantara get appointed as district engineer of Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office in 2019.</p><p>Bernardo also allegedly collected the 25-percent kickbacks on contract prices for delivery to project proponents.</p><p>He was also the proponent of &quot;projects totaling [P1.65876 billion]&quot; with more than P765.8 million of those projects &quot;originating&quot; from the House budget bill &quot;while the remaining amount came from the [National Expenditure Program].&quot;</p><p>The executive branch prepares the NEP based on recommendations from agencies like the DPWH and submits it to the House of Representatives, where budget bills originate.</p><p>Bernardo allegedly received SOP (Standard Operating Procedure, or kickbacks) at the DPWH North Manila DEO &quot;and at a gas station in Fairview, Quezon City.&quot; </p><p>These alleged deliveries were documented through screenshots with a certain Carlo Rivera.</p><p>&quot;In fact, Engineer Alcantara deducts 30 percent of the total amount of the project before giving 25 percent of the total budget to Undersecretary Bernardo,&quot; the ICI report reads.</p><p><strong>Potential violations: </strong>Direct or Indirect Bribery and Corruption of Public Officials (Revised Penal Code), <strong></strong>Corruption of Public Officers (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>SEN. JOEL VILLANUEVA</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1761837170920villanueva.jfif" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Senator Joel Villanueva. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file</em></span></span></span></strong></div><p>Alcantara alleges that Villanueva asked him for P1.5 billion in funding for a multipurpose building but that he was only able to allocate P600 million, forcing him and Bernardo to &quot;find a way&quot; (gumawa ng paraan) to please the senator, who was also majority leader at the time.</p><p>&quot;Sen. Villanueva was given projects under the 2023 Unprogrammed Allocations in the amount of P600 million, which were all flood control projects and 25 percent of the amount was agreed to be given to him,&quot; the ICI report citing Alcantara&#x27;s testimony reads.</p><p>Alcantara allegedly delivered the total amount of P150 million to &quot;Peng&quot;, allegedly  a member of Villanueva&#x27;s staff,  at a rest house in Bocaue, Bulacan.</p><p>Hernandez corroborated Alcantara&#x27;s claim, adding he would &quot;often take pictures of the messages&quot; between Villanueva and Alcantara to keep a record because the messages were set to disappear after being read.</p><p>Hernandez and Mendoza said that &quot;based on their recollection&quot;, the money was personally delivered to Villanueva.</p><p>The senator has denied these claims and has said he is open to any investigation.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/19/villanueva-lashes-out-at-critics-amid-flood-control-scandal-0042"><strong>Villanueva lashes out at critics amid flood control scandal<br/></strong></a></div><p><strong>Potential violations: </strong>Direct or Indirect Bribery and Corruption of Public Officials under (Revised Penal Code), Corruption of Public Officers (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act), Plunder (Anti-Plunder Law)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>SEN. JINGGOY ESTRADA</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17618144960431761814495268.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Sen. Jinggoy Estrada files a case against former Bulacan Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez at the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office on October 7, 2025. Estrada filed four counts of perjury against Hernandez after he was implicated in anomalous “ghost” flood control projects during several probes conducted by both the lower and upper chambers of Congress. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></strong></div><p>Alcantara alleges that Bernardo asked him at a budget hearing at the Senate in 2024 that a certain &quot;SJE&quot; had P355 million in allocations for projects, prompting him to prepare a list of projects that was submitted to Estrada.</p><p>Hernandez alleges that &quot;a certain Ms. Mina&quot; — a representative of contractor WJ Construction — and Beng Ramos, supposedly a member of Estrada&#x27;s staff, &quot;usually&quot; communicated with him on the senator&#x27;s projects.</p><p>&quot;Like the other transactions, 25 percent of the amounts were supposed to be given to the proponent,&quot; the ICI report reads.</p><p>Estrada has denied allegations and has said he has no &quot;Beng Ramos&quot; on his staff. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/7/jinggoy-estrada-sues-ex-dpwh-engineer-who-implicated-him-in-flood-control-scam-0959"><strong>Jinggoy files perjury raps vs ex-DPWH exec who tagged him in flood control scam<br/></strong></a></div><p><strong>Potential violations:</strong> Direct or Indirect Bribery and Corruption of Public Officials under (Revised Penal Code), Corruption of Public Officers (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act), Plunder (Anti-Plunder Law)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RESIGNED AKO BICOL PARTY-LIST REP. ZALDY CO</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17618146428641761814642054.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Rep. Elizaldy Co chairs the House Committee on Appropriations briefing, September 6, 2022. <em>Press and Public Affairs Bureau handout/File </em></span></span></span></strong></div><p>The former chair of the House appropriations committee has been accused of insertions in the national budget and of receiving kickbacks that could reach billions of pesos.</p><div><strong></strong></div><p>Co, who has resigned as a congressman, was allegedly the proponent of 426 flood-control projects worth more than P35 billion in Bulacan 1st DEO between 2022 and 2025.  </p><p>Alcantara alleges proposed projects through the National Expenditure Program, through the Bicameral Conference Committee and through Unprogrammed Funds in the national budget.</p><p>&quot;Each and every time Cong. Zaldy proposes a project Engr. Alcantara gives an obligation based on the project budget&quot; of from 20 percent in 2022 to 25 percent from 2023 onwards.</p><p>The alleged kickbacks were transported in boxes and in pieces of luggage and delivered to properties Co owned, according to the ICI report.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/29/-p50m-per-large-suitcase-ici-report-details-alleged-kickback-deliveries-to-zaldy-co-2156"><strong>‘P50M per large suitcase’: ICI details alleged kickback deliveries to Zaldy Co</strong></a></div><p>Co has denied the allegations but has yet to return to the Philippines to formally refute them.</p><p><strong>Potential violations: </strong>Direct or Indirect Bribery and Corruption of Public Officials under (Revised Penal Code), Corruption of Public Officers (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act), Plunder (Anti-Plunder Law)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>AUDIT COMMISSIONER MARIO LIPANA</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17618147434541761814742827.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">COA Commissioner Mario Lipana and his wife Marilou Laurio-Lipana. <em>ABS-CBN News/File </em></span></span></span></strong></div><p>Alcantara alleges that Lipana asked him in 2022 for a list of flood control projects in Bulacan while Hernandez alleges Lipana went to the Bulacan 1st DEO in 2023 &quot;to give the final billing of the street lights project in Bustos, Bulacan even though its accomplishment is still ongoing.&quot;</p><p>Lipana also allegedly secured funding for projects on behalf of Olympus Mining and Builders Group Phils Corp., a contracting company that his wife owns.</p><p>&quot;However, Engr. Hernandez never delivered money to Comm. Lipana as his SOP was already deducted even before the funds [reached] the DEO,&quot; the ICI report reads.</p><p>Lipana allegedly involved himself in flood-control projects &quot;for the purpose of protecting [his] and Cong. Co’s properties in Bustos, Bulacan.&quot;</p><p>The commissioner is <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/13/coa-chair-ombudsman-probing-commissioner-tagged-in-flood-control-scandal-1639">already subject of an investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman</a>, Commission on Audit Chair Gamaliel Cordoba said earlier this month.</p><p><strong>Potential violations:</strong> Direct or Indirect Bribery and Corruption of Public Officials under (Revised Penal Code), Corruption of Public Officers (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act), Plunder (Anti-Plunder Law)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>FORMER CALOOCAN REP. MITCH CAJAYON-UY</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1761814935024118283611_1285668215114330_8030798570299465372_n.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><em>Mitch Cajayon-Uy Facebook page</em></span></span></span></strong></div><p>Alcantara alleges that Cajayon-Uy, while still with the Social Welfare department&#x27;s Council for the Welfare of Children, asked for projects with Bulacan 1st DEO. </p><p>He said that around P411 million in projects that Cajayon-Uy allegedly inserted in 2022 were approved in the General Appropriations Act.</p><p>&quot;Cong. Mitch asked for 10% in exchange and was given to her in a restaurant somewhere along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City,&quot; the ICI report reads.</p><p>In a September 9 hearing, Hernandez said Cajayon-Uy was among the recipients of &#x27;SOP&#x27; that he and Carlo Rivera prepared.</p><p>Cajayon-Uy has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OV4gfFGCkM">denied the allegations</a>, saying all the projects during her term as representative of Caloocan City’s 2nd District are in the public record and open to scrutiny.</p><p>She added her record and her conscience are both clean.</p><p>The Sandiganbayan acquitted her of a graft case related to the Priority Development Assistance Fund Scam in 2021.</p><p><strong>Potential violations: </strong>Direct or Indirect Bribery and Corruption of Public Officials under (Revised Penal Code), Corruption of Public Officers (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act), Plunder (Anti-Plunder Law)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?</strong></div><p>The Office of the Ombudsman has received the ICI&#x27;s report and will conduct preliminary investigations into the people named.</p><p>Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said his office will also need to validate the information provided &quot;but, basically, some of them are ripe for action already.&quot;</p><p>A preliminary investigation gives respondents the opportunity to address the allegations against them before the determination of whether cases should be filed in court.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0LffeGPoqHU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>It is not the “Ikulong Na Yan, Mga Kurakot” that protesters and citizens have been calling for but the Independent Commission for Infrastructure on Wednesday forwarded an interim report of its probe into the flood-control corruption controversy to the Office of the Ombudsman.</p>

It is not the “Ikulong Na Yan, Mga Kurakot” that protesters and citizens have been calling for but the Independent Commission for Infrastructure on Wednesday forwarded an interim report of its probe into the flood-control corruption controversy to the Office of the Ombudsman.

The 6 people named in ICI report and their alleged links to flood-control mess

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The 6 people named in ICI report and their alleged links to flood-control mess

Jonathan de Santos,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 30, 2025 05:32 PM PHT

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Updated Oct 30, 2025 11:22 PM PHT

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flood control

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