Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Bulacan Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez attends the congressional hearing on the alleged ghost flood control projects at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Brice

Jeff Caparas

RG Cruz

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/175756294681620250909-house-probe-flood-brice-hernandez-MT2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Bulacan Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez attends the congressional hearing on the alleged ghost flood control projects at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA <strong>(UPDATE) </strong>— The lawyers of former DPWH Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez on Thursday filed a petition for a writ of amparo before a Pasay court, citing “serious and active threats” to his life, liberty, and security.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/11/sotto-only-lawyers-family-can-visit-ex-dpwh-engineer-brice-1127">Sotto: Only lawyers, family can visit Ex-DPWH engineer Brice Hernandez at Pasay jail</a></div><p>This, following Hernandez&#x27;s testimony before Congress in relation to his alleged involvement in the flood control anomalis in Bulacan.</p><p>Ernest Levanza, Hernandez’s lead counsel, said his client’s safety has been compromised after his revelations during congressional hearings.</p><p>&quot;We filed a petition for writ of amparo for our client Brice Hernandez. This is actually a petition and an extraordinary remedy we have availed for the benefit of our client, considering the threat to life, security, and liberty,” Levanza told reporters.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FabscbnNEWS%2Fvideos%2F705954085794780%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span>“One of our prayers is for him to have a temporary protection order, as well as a motion for witness protection,” he said.</div><p>Levanza said that the writ of amparo was not limited to cases of EJK, but is a remedy available to anyone whose right to life, liberty, or security is under threat.  </p><p>“Prior to the divulging of the revelations meron nang threat to begin with,” he said.</p><p>Hernandez, the former Bulacan assistant district engineer who tagged two senators in an alleged kickback scheme, is currently detained at the Pasay City Jail after being cited in contempt by the Senate Blue Ribbon panel. </p><p>In a separate hearing by the House Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday, he accused Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva of receiving kickbacks from flood control projects — which they denied. </p><p>Before he was transferred to the Pasay jail, Hernandez was initially detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center. </p><p>&quot;The PNP custodial facility is actually a better option. We don’t even understand why it has to be here in the Pasay City Jail. In fact, doon sa debate what happened yesterday, there was never an instance that Pasay City jail was even an option… Biglang all of a sudden nalipat tayo sa Pasay City jail and then it was seconded. And then that’s it. Wala man lang na object. And the motive again is highly suspect,” Levanza said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/11/sotto-only-lawyers-family-can-visit-ex-dpwh-engineer-brice-1127">Sotto: Only lawyers, family can visit Ex-DPWH engineer Brice Hernandez at Pasay jail</a></div><p>“Ang client ko hindi yan, he is not yet accused of anything nor convicted. Tapos dinadala natin yan sa Pasay City Jail. What signal is the Senate trying to impress?” he said.</p><p>“Here is my client courageously divulging details and yet he was brought to Pasay City Jail. Ano ang impact nun?” the lawyer added. </p><p>The lawyer said they have not yet seen a copy of the corruption complaints that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) filed against Hernandez, other DPWH personnel, and 4 private construction firms allegedly involved in the flood control project anomalies.</p><p>He also confirmed that Hernandez received a show-cause order from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) for the alleged use of a fake driver&#x27;s license in casinos. He said they would submit a sworn traffic affidavit in response. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/10/lto-summons-dpwh-bgc-boys-over-fake-licenses-used-in-casinos-1516">LTO summons DPWH ‘BGC Boys’ over fake licenses used in casinos</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>SENATE RETURN?</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore and Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chair Panfilo Lacson said he wanted Hernandez detained at the Senate next week.</p><p>Lacson said he would have proposed this on Wednesday night but he was overtaken by Senate President Vicente Sotto III&#x27;s decision to detain Hernandez at the Pasay City Jail after the Senate Minority Bloc called him out for acceding to the request of Speaker Martin Romualdez not to detain Hernandez at the Senate.</p><p>&quot;After the hearing on Thursday, or even before, kung hiramin siya  ng House, ang recommendation ko nga is diretso na lang dito sa Senate. Mas mainam na rin dito,” Lacson said.</p><p>“At least wala na tayong gastos sa gasolina pag may hearing may escort pa mas mainam nang nandito kasi meron naman kaming facility rito,&quot; he added.</p><p>Lacson said Hernandez might not be a credible witness, given the millions he supposedly spent in casinos.</p><p>&quot;From my vantage point, hindi siya credible. That&#x27;s my opinion, based on what I know about him… Billion din yung kanyang chips to cash. Bukod pa yung cash to chips. Saan nang galing yun?&quot; Lacson said.</p><p>Still, Lacson said he wanted to quiz Hernandez on his claims about the deliveries of bribes.</p><p>“Gusto kong maliwanagan yung sinasabi niya na delivery ng obligasyon. Anong ibig niya sabihin? Gusto ko ipursue yun. Kasi naando sa cellphone niya. Para maging part ng official record ng Blue Ribbon... We want to make it official na yung kanyang testimony sa Blue Ribbon para magamit namin sa aming pagpursue ng legislation,” he said.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS:</strong></div><div><strong><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/NJXVN_qbiCQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></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/FcHy73E6ddU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><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/9tyIJz6WqYk?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The lawyers of former DPWH Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez on Thursday filed a petition for a writ of amparo before a Pasay court, citing “serious and active threats” to his life, liberty, and security.</p>

The lawyers of former DPWH Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez on Thursday filed a petition for a writ of amparo before a Pasay court, citing “serious and active threats” to his life, liberty, and security.

Brice Hernandez camp files writ of amparo plea amid 'serious and active threats'

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Brice Hernandez camp files writ of amparo plea amid 'serious and active threats'

Jeff Caparas,

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 11, 2025 11:56 AM PHT

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Updated September 11, 2025 05:39 PM PHT

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Brice Hernandez

DPWH

politics

Pasay RTC

flood control

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