Solon questions DOJ decision on state witnesses in flood control probe

Bicol-Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon has called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to clearly explain why former Bulacan First District engineers Brice Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza were excluded from the list of state witnesses in the probe into alleged anomalies in flood control projects.

The issue arose after the DOJ announced in a press briefing on Thursday, 15 January, the individuals granted state witness status, excluding Hernandez and Mendoza following what prosecutors described as a preliminary screening that found they “did not qualify” for inclusion.

In an interview on DZRH, Ridon questioned the DOJ’s decision, noting that DPWH Bulacan District Engineer Henry Alcantara was admitted as a state witness despite what he described as a higher level of accountability.

“Kailangan po nilang ipaliwanag pa with further detail ano ’yung dahilan bakit hindi kasama itong dalawang mas mabababang mga opisyal na ito, samantalang si Henry Alcantara ay ginawa na nilang state witness,” Ridon said.

Ridon said clarification is “critical” to determine whether Hernandez and Mendoza remain under consideration or have been permanently excluded, warning that selective accountability would be unacceptable.

“’Yun po talagang mga kasabwat ay nakakalaya… Para makita po natin kung bakit ginawang state witness sina Roberto Bernardo at Henry Alcantara, samantalang hindi pa sina Brice Hernandez at Jaypee Mendoza,” he added.

The lawmaker 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 the “spearheads” of the controversy that triggered the investigation.

“Hindi pa po katanggap-tanggap sa akin at malamang hindi pa rin katanggap-tanggap sa publiko ang kanilang paliwanag kung bakit hindi pa rin state witnesses sina Brice Hernandez at Jaypee Mendoza,” Ridon said.

“Very fundamental ’yung kanilang papel sa entire scheme, at malinaw na hindi rin po sila ang pinaka-guilty.”

Earlier, the DOJ confirmed that Alcantara and former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo were granted provisional acceptance as protected witnesses under the Witness Protection Program (WPP).

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

Aside from Bernardo and Alcantara, the DOJ also named Gerard Opulencia and contractor Sally Santos as state witnesses. Justice Secretary Frederick Vida said the four are expected to receive immunity from criminal liability.

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

Despite their provisional status, Hernandez and Mendoza remain respondents in cases of malversation, graft, and falsification of public documents connected to the Bulacan flood control projects.