Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan 1st District Engineer Henry Alcantara has denied reports claiming he recanted his earlier testimony before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

According to his legal counsel Emil Joven, the claims circulating across various platforms are categorically false.

“In short, Engr. Alcantara is not recanting his prior statements,” Joven said.

Alcantara, along with other DPWH officials including former undersecretary Roberto Bernardo and regional director Gerald Opulencia, is currently under provisional acceptance to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Witness Protection Program.

His legal team said Alcantara entered into a memorandum of agreement with the DOJ as a prerequisite for regular admission to the Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Program, underscoring his continued cooperation with authorities probing alleged flood control anomalies.

“Engr. Alcantara remains pledged to fulfilling his obligations under the Memorandum of Agreement to assist authorities in the pursuit of truth and accountability,” the legal team said.

As part of his commitment to restitution, Alcantara has turned over P181.7 million to the DOJ, representing a portion of the P300 million he is expected to return to the government.

Earlier, Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said the Office of the Ombudsman would rely solely on sworn statements amid circulating claims, dismissing the reports as unsubstantiated.

“Seems like noise to us. We will only rely on sworn statements,” Clavano said.

He added that any attempt to retract earlier statements could jeopardize the former engineer’s standing, particularly in relation to his admission to the witness protection program.

The DOJ had also earlier dismissed the recantation rumors, saying Alcantara has not made any official retraction of his statements, whether written or verbal.

“The DOJ has not received or reviewed any affidavit from Henry Alcantara retracting his previous statements,” DOJ spokesperson Raphael Nicollo Martinez said.

“There has been no official recantation by Alcantara whether written or verbal,” he added.

According to Alcantara’s camp, the assessment of his statements and those of other respondents now rests with the panel of prosecutors handling the cases.

“In deference to the investigative process, the evaluation of the statements of Engr. Alcantara as well as that of the other parties and respondents in the various cases, is properly left to the Honorable Panel of Prosecutors, consistent with law and established procedure,” the legal team said.

Joven also urged the public to remain vigilant and rely only on verified and credible sources, cautioning that information from entities other than the DOJ should be treated carefully due to the risk of inaccuracy.