The Senate blue ribbon committee will resume its hearing on flood control projects on January 19 at 1 p.m., chairperson Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said Sunday.
In an interview with Super Radyo dzBB, Lacson said the committee will discuss the reported retraction of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – Bulacan engineers Henry Alcantara and Brice Hernandez.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Saturday that Alcantara has not made an official recantation of his previous revelations during the Senate blue ribbon committee’s hearing last September 2025.
“Nevertheless, isa sa pag-uusapan namin ‘yung consequence/s kung may plano silang mag-retract o mag-recant ng kanilang sinumpaang salaysay sa blue ribbon committee,” Lacson said.
(Nevertheless, we will talk about the consequences should they plan to retract or recant their affidavit submitted to the blue ribbon committee.)
He added that the committee will clarify with the DOJ if the former DPWH engineers submitted a counter affidavit of their testimony.
“Ipagbibigay alam namin sa kanila na kapag sila ay nag-recant, magiging liable sila sa perjury. Kahit anong sinumpaang salaysay na under oath, tinaasan ang penalty,” Lacson said.
(We will inform them that if they recant, they will be held liable for perjury. For any sworn statement made under oath, penalties have been increased [for perjury].)
Lacson earlier reported that Alcantara, Hernandez, and two other DPWH engineers have cashed in billions of pesos from casinos in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Pampanga from 2023 to 2025 in what could be a money laundering scheme.
The Senate blue ribbon committee will also invite former Education undersecretary Trygve Olaivar, former DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan, and other resource persons who failed to show up at the previous hearings.
Lacson said a subpoena will be issued should they fail to attend again.
Should Alcantara and Hernandez recant their statements, Lacson said the case would still stand since there is other evidence pointing to those who are accountable.
“Kung may mga money trail, paper trail ng galaw ng pera ng nakadikit, may kinalaman o konektado sa mga testimonya nila, iko-consider din ng DOJ ‘yun o ng Ombudsman,” Lacson said.
(The DOJ or the Ombudsman will also consider whether there are money and paper trails that connect to their testimonies.)
Lacson said the committee is also planning to invite Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste with regards to the so-called “Cabral files.”
The senator added that he is set to meet with former DPWH undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral’s lawyer next week to clarify the allocable amounts, particularly the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for flood control projects and other infrastructure projects issued on December 27, 2024.
In the said SARO, the P50 billion came entirely from unprogrammed appropriations.
“P30 billion sa P50 billion ay flood control projects. Napakarami sa listahan na ‘yun ay ghost projects. Gusto naming i-clarify sa DBM at Office of the Executive Secretary kung paano ‘yung flow, paano nangyari na halos matatapos na ang 2024, nag-release pa ng SARO, at nanggaling sa unprogrammed appropriations kung saan infrastructure projects,” Lacson said.
(P30 billion of the P50 billion went to flood control projects. Many on the list are ghost projects. We want to clarify with the Department of Budget Management and the Office of the Executive Secretary how a SARO was still released from unprogrammed appropriations in late 2024 for infrastructure projects.) —KG, GMA Integrated News
