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<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17737090323391773709030667.jpeg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Former DPWH Usec. Roberto Bernardo attends the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on anomalous flood control projects in Pasay City on January 19, 2026. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo told the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division on Tuesday that he received about P10 million in annual “balato” payments from former DPWH-Mimaropa Director Gerald Pacanan. </p><p>Bernardo, a state witness in the flood control projects scam cases, testified that he received the payments from 2023 to 2025, coursed through Pacanan’s aide and driver.</p><p>Bernardo said former DPWH Engr. Henry Alcantara told him the money allegedly came from former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:560px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2033704924090126494&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-03-17T00%3A53%3A25.913902%3Ab0fbd51d-ba68-4ee0-8a7e-36bb759b2cbd%26action%3Dcorrect&amp;sessionId=4c103c8d05c0decfe7e5d8bfcd655f176f1dc66f&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:517px;height:291px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="2033704924090126494"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>Bernardo said he also received P40 million in 2023 and 2024, and P20 million in 2025 from Alcantara. He said some payments were delivered personally by Alcantara, while others were sent through the former DPWH engineer’s aide. </p><p>Bernardo made the testimony during the trial on malversation charges against DPWH-Mimaropa officials over the road dike in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.</p><p>Pacanan and DPWH-Mimaropa officials Gene Altea, Ruben Delos Santos Jr., Dominic Serrano, Lerma Cayco, Felisardo Casuno, Dennis Abagon, Juliet Calvo, and Montrexis Tamayo earlier pleaded not guilty to charges of malversation and graft before the Sandiganbayan. </p><div><em>More details to follow. </em></div>

<p>Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo told the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division on Tuesday that he received about P10 million in annual “balato” payments from former DPWH-Mimaropa Director Gene Pacanan.</p>

Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo told the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division on Tuesday that he received about P10 million in annual “balato” payments from former DPWH-Mimaropa Director Gene Pacanan.

Roberto Bernardo testifies he got P10-M annual ‘balato’ from former DPWH-Mimaropa chief

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Roberto Bernardo testifies he got P10-M annual ‘balato’ from former DPWH-Mimaropa chief

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 17, 2026 08:58 AM PHT

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Updated Mar 17, 2026 12:00 PM PHT

Read More:

corruption

flood control

baha

DPWH

Roberto Bernardo

DPWH Mimaropa

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