Lawmakers quiz DoJ on witness selection

Lawmakers quiz DoJ on witness selection | Daily Tribune

Bicol-Saro Partylist Rep. Terry Ridon on Sunday pressed the Department of Justice (DoJ) to explain why two former Bulacan engineers linked to the flood control controversy were excluded from the official list of “Floodgate” state witnesses, warning that selective accountability would undermine the credibility of the widening probe.

The call came as the DoJ confirmed the admission of four individuals into its Witness Protection Program (WPP) in connection with alleged anomalies in flood control projects.

Those named were former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, former DPWH Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara, DPWH engineer Gerard Opulencia, and contractor Sally Santos, owner and manager of SYMS Construction Trading.

In an interview on radio, Ridon questioned why former DPWH Bulacan First District engineers Brice Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza were not included in the official state witness list, after prosecutors said they “did not qualify” following a preliminary screening.

“They need to explain in further detail why these two lower-ranking officials were not included, while Henry Alcantara has already been made a state witness,” Ridon said.

Ridon said clarification is critical to determine whether Hernandez and Mendoza remain under consideration or have been permanently excluded.

“The accomplices are the ones getting freed,” he said. “So we can see why Roberto Bernardo and Henry Alcantara were made state witnesses, while Brice Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza are still not.”

‘Unacceptable’

Ridon said Hernandez and Mendoza were among the first to publicly expose alleged corruption and irregular handling of funds within the DPWH First District Engineering Office, describing them as “spearheads” of the controversy that triggered the probe.

“It is still unacceptable to me — and likely unacceptable to the public — why Brice Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza are still not state witnesses,” he said.

“Their role is very fundamental in the entire scheme, and it is clear they are not the most guilty.”

Earlier, the DoJ confirmed that Alcantara and Bernardo were granted provisional acceptance as protected witnesses under the WPP.

Hernandez and Mendoza were also provisionally accepted, but the DoJ said it “currently sees no need” to formally admit them into the program.

Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said the four state witnesses — Bernardo, Alcantara, Opulencia and Santos — are expected to receive immunity from criminal liability.

Vida said the four returned a total of P316,381,500, part of an alleged P1.5-billion obligation tied to the flood control projects under investigation.

Diokno chimes in

Akbayan Partylist Rep. Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno, meanwhile, called for a thorough audit of all flood control projects handled by officials and contractors accepted into the WPP, saying authorities must determine how much public money was taken and ensure full recovery.

Diokno said investigators should conduct a complete review of all contracts and projects linked to those under state protection, adding that electronic devices should have been seized as these could contain evidence of coordination, accomplices, and the mechanics of allegedly manipulated projects.

While Alcantara, Opulencia and Santos have returned millions of pesos, Diokno said recovery efforts should not stop there and called for forfeiture proceedings to ensure the return of all stolen public funds.

He also said WPP admission must come with full cooperation, including disclosing what state witnesses know about flood control and other infrastructure projects, identifying all involved, and testifying in court.