A staggering one-time cash delivery of P457 million to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineers may be just the tip of the iceberg in a sprawling corruption scandal involving flood control projects, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson warned Friday.

Lacson, who chairs the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, revealed the suspicious cash handoffs during recent Senate hearings, pointing to what he described as a “baffling” and “anomalous” transaction chain between contractors and DPWH officials. 

He raised the alarm on a potential scheme involving public funds being funneled through contractors only to be returned as cash bribes.

“It is baffling. Why would a contractor deliver cash to the district engineering office when it should be the other way around - the DPWH pays the contractor for the completion of projects,” Lacson said in a radio interview. 

Lacson was referring to the cash deliveries made by Syms Construction owner Sally Santos to sacked DPWH Bulacan engineer Brice Hernandez at least three times this year alone.

“What is the P457 million for? What projects are involved? And why pay in cash?,” he lamented, noting that this may indicate that Santos could have been paid for the completion of projects implemented by Syms Construction, but she would return it to Hernandez. 

“That alone is anomalous,” he added. 

Lacson said they are still working to determine how the money was divided, noting that former DPWH Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara’s refusal to cooperate during the hearing suggests he may be protecting someone.

“He is obviously protecting someone. If Alcantara cracks, maybe we can get to who are behind him,” he said. 

Seed of corruption

Lacson said there may be an insider at the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) involved, noting the agency’s power to recommend the release of unprogrammed funds, potentially including those for flood control projects.

“You can suspect that,” Lacson said when asked if those behind the corruption in flood control projects had an insider in the DBM.

However, he pointed out that the root of the corruption lies with greedy lawmakers who insert questionable allocations into the national budget.

“It appears the seed of all this is Congress. If no one allocated or inserted, we wouldn't have come to this. If there is someone to blame for this, it is the lawmakers who have become greedy and brazen,” he said.

Lacson also affirmed that he will stay focused on the investigation and follow the evidence wherever it leads.

“I will not be distracted. I will be guided by evidence, and not necessarily go where angry netizens want to take us. We go where the evidence takes us,” he said.