DOJ recovers millions from contractors, ex-DPWH officials in flood project probe

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday said it has recovered tens of millions of pesos this month from contractors and former officials implicated in alleged floodgate anomalies, as restitution agreements and witness protection arrangements progress.

Justice spokesperson Polo Martinez said contractor Sally Santos returned about P15 million to government coffers on Monday as part of her restitution under a memorandum of agreement with the DOJ.

Santos, the owner and manager of SYMS Construction Trading, earlier admitted delivering around P245 million in cash to a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) office in a single day. She also told investigators that she may have delivered as much as P1 billion to the same office from 2022 to the present.

Separately, former DPWH National Capital Region director Gerard Opulencia turned over P40 million to the DOJ on Tuesday, December 16. Acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said the amount forms part of Opulencia’s commitment to return a total of P150 million.

Opulencia is a respondent in five cases under preliminary investigation by the DOJ involving alleged ghost flood control projects contracted by SYMS Construction in Balagtas and Pandi, Bulacan. Vida said Opulencia has been provisionally admitted to the Witness Protection Program (WPP), with his formal acceptance as a state witness dependent on full compliance with the memorandum of agreement he signed with the DOJ.

Former DPWH Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara has also turned over a second tranche of funds he allegedly received as kickbacks from flood control projects. Vida said Alcantara surrendered P71,379,500 as part of his commitment to return P300 million.

Alcantara previously returned P110 million on November 28, bringing the total amount he has surrendered to P181,379,500. He still needs to return P118,620,500 to fully comply with his agreement under the WPP.

Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon said the funds are being returned in tranches due to legal constraints, including freeze orders issued by the Court of Appeals on certain accounts holding the money.

The DOJ said Alcantara has been provisionally admitted to the WPP and now qualifies as a state witness. Under Republic Act No. 6981, or the Witness Protection Program Law, a respondent who fully complies with a memorandum of agreement may be excluded from indictment or discharged as a state witness, depending on the stage of the case.

The DOJ said the recovery of funds is part of its ongoing investigation into alleged corruption and kickbacks tied to flood control projects, with further developments expected in the coming weeks.