Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

<div><iframe width="1100" height="619" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kpbqr2s2yEY" title="LIVE: Senate Blue Ribbon Committee resumes hearing on anomalous flood control projects | Sept 18" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>MANILA — WJ Construction representative Mina Elamparo-Jose rejected former DPWH engineer Brice Hernandez’s accusations that she delivered kickbacks to Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who she said she never met before Thursday’s Senate hearing on flood control anomalies.</p><p>“I have never engaged in any illegal activity. I have never given nor received any money from any public official or government employee, including this Mr. Brice Hernandez,” Elamparo-Jose said.</p><p>“Thus, I strongly deny his accusations, the baseless and malicious accusations he threw against me and WJ Construction,” she said.</p><p>Elamparo-Jose’s name cropped up at a separate House hearing, where Hernandez showed a purported December 2022 text conversation between him and a certain Beng Ramos, whom he claimed was a staff member of Estrada.</p><p>“This was the time na meron pong project na binigay si boss Henry Alcantara kay Ms. Beng Ramos through Ms. Mina of WJ Construction. So, ‘yun ‘yung ginamit na license or contractor. Nandiyan po ‘yung pag-uusap kung kailan magde-deliver ng obligasyon dahil kailangan ni Boss Henry,” Hernandez had said.</p><p>But Elamparo-Jose said she was the one talking with Hernandez in the text message and not Ramos.</p><p>She said she introduced herself as a construction firm representative and said she got Hernadez’s number from Ramos, her friend who works at the Blue Ribbon Oversight Office Management (BROOM). </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/10/senate-staff-tagged-in-alleged-jinggoy-payoff-asked-to-explain-1105">Senate staff tagged in alleged Jinggoy payoff asked to explain</a></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17581709908341758170989980.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>Elamparo-Jose said she wanted to inquire about potential projects that her firm could join in Bulacan, where Hernandez was an assistant district engineer.</p><p>She said Hernandez told her that she could enter a joint venture with another firm to qualify for project biddings. She said she agreed to send an aide to meet Hernandez and the other contractor.</p><p>Elamparo-Jose added that the “delivery” she mentioned in the text message were documents for the joint venture and not alleged payoffs.</p><p>Estrada told her, “You’re saying na hindi mo ako kilala, hindi ka nagpunta sa aking tanggapan.”</p><p>“Yes, your honor,” Elamparo-Jose replied.</p><p>“Kahit po kay Brice, wala po akong dinalang pera,” she added.</p><p>Elamparo-Jose said that her firm did not push through with bidding for flood control projects in Bulacan.  </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>SENATE CCTV </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The construction firm representative also clarified the CCTV footage that showed her visiting the Senate premises on August 19.</p><p>Elamparo-Jose said she did an ocular for a project that would have fixed drainage problems at the veranda of Sen. Erwin Tulfo’s office — which was cancelled after her name was mentioned by Hernandez.</p><p>She said that she visited Ramos at the Senate on the same day. </p><p>Tulfo said his aide wrote to Elamparo-Jose and questioned why she dropped by BROOM. </p><p>&quot;Parang ginamit po yung aming opisina na makapasyal siya sa BROOM, eh wala naman po sa agenda. Hindi rin po niya minention na may kilala po siya dito sa BROOM, eh wala naman po sa agenda. Hindi rin po niya minention na may kilala po siya dito sa Senate, dyan sa BROOM, sa Blue Ribbon. So, in other words, Mr. Chair, parang nagamit po yung opisina ko, para dumaan po siya sa BROOM, kung ano man yung kanyang business doon,&quot; Tulfo said.</p><p>Elamparo-Jose apologized to Tulfo, saying: &quot;It was just my intention to see my friend, especially when I heard that Beng is suffering from cancer and I haven&#x27;t seen her in a long time. So I thought it was an opportunity for me to also visit her.&quot;</p><p>&quot;You should have told us na may kaibigan ka under investigation. My staff even asked me, if you would remember and you lied. Sinabi namin, baka ikaw, ito sabit ka dito sa flood control... Hindi po kami sabit dyan,&quot; Tulfo said. </p><p>&quot;Yes, Your Honor, because I am of honest belief na wala po talaga kami,&quot; Elamparo-Jose replied.</p><p>She also disclosed that this was not the first time that she visited the Senate.</p><p>“Nagpupunta na po ako dito in the past. Matagal na po yun, noong senator pa po yung ninong ko, si Joker Arroyo kasi bumibista sa kanya and yung mga kaibigan ko po sa BROOM,” she said.</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17581710664171758171065389.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>She added that Ramos “is a dedicated government employee who has never been involved in any controversy, especially in these anomalous flood control projects.”</p><p>Ramos is undergoing chemotherapy and was excused from Thursday&#x27;s hearing, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said.  </p><p>Estrada previously said that Ramos was never his staff member.  </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>‘EASY TARGET’ </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Estrada said he was an “easy target” of corruption allegations because he had been “crucified, vilified in the past.”</p><p>The senator has been acquitted of plunder and initially convicted of bribery and indirect bribery but later cleared by the court due to lack of evidence in connection with the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.</p><p>“Mayroon akong mga nakaraang issues kaya I am very vulnerable to all these attacks. And I deny vehemently na mayroong hinihingi akong porsyento sa mga proyekto,” Estrada said.</p><p>He then asked Hernandez, “Did you ever see [dismissed Bulacan 1st District Engineer Henry] Alcantara handing money to me?”</p><p>“Wala po,” Hernandez replied. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/18/dpwh-initiating-warranty-claims-vs-ghost-substandard-flood-control-projects-1005">DPWH initiating warranty claims vs ghost, substandard flood control projects</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/18/alcantara-cited-in-contempt-for-allegedly-lying-over-bulacan-ghost-projects-1129">Alcantara cited in contempt for allegedly lying over Bulacan ghost projects</a></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FabscbnNEWS%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02A4H5Lxn1YqnuEyKR44e6ggBTcvtBxWTpDh5pmgyHVJMbr42mvxJ8v4VJfBMpoiH5l&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="728" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>WJ Construction representative Mina Elamparo-Jose rejected former DPWH engineer Brice Hernandez’s accusations that she delivered payoffs to Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who she said she never met before Thursday’s Senate hearing on flood control anomalies.</p>

WJ Construction representative Mina Elamparo-Jose rejected former DPWH engineer Brice Hernandez’s accusations that she delivered payoffs to Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who she said she never met before Thursday’s Senate hearing on flood control anomalies.

Contractor rejects Brice Hernandez’s payoff claims, denies ties to Estrada

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Contractor rejects Brice Hernandez’s payoff claims, denies ties to Estrada

Jamaine Punzalan

Published Sep 18, 2025 01:05 PM PHT

|

Updated Sep 18, 2025 04:46 PM PHT

Read More:

DPWH

corruption

flood control

baha

Jinggoy Estrada

Brice Hernandez

Mina Elamparo Jose

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