DoJ enrolls Alcantara in witness program

Dismissed Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara, among the so-called whistleblowers in the multibillion-peso flood control scam, is now in the government’s Witness Protection Program (WPP).

The Department of Justice (DoJ) took custody of Alcantara on Wednesday from the Senate, where he had been held since September last year following a contempt citation.

Alcantara and several others have been enrolled as state witnesses under the WPP as they play a key role in the ongoing investigation into alleged corruption in flood control projects — despite critics raising concerns about their involvement in the purported kickback schemes.

Alcantara has pledged to return P300 million in ill-gotten wealth to the government as restitution. He had turned over P181 million so far.

The dismissed engineer was a central figure in the alleged corruption scheme involving flood control projects. He admitted to receiving a portion of the kickbacks from projects under his office’s supervision, which were later found to be either ghost or substandard projects.

Alcantara implicated Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, former Senator Ramon Revilla, Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, and ex-Caloocan Rep. Mitch Cajayon-Uy in the anomalies.

He told a congressional hearing that they received payoffs of up to 25 or 30 percent, with the funds coming from “insertions” in the national budget.

Aside from Alcantara, other key personalities involved in the flood control scam, who would be discharged from criminal liability, include former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, DPWH engineer Gerard Opulencia, and public works contractor Sally Santos of SYMS Construction Trading.