Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary and state witness Roberto Bernardo appeared before the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division on Tuesday in a hearing against DPWH-Mimaropa officials.

Bernardo will testify in the case of malversation filed against the officers for the suspected mishandling of a road dike in Oriental Mindoro.

He was officially classified as a state witness, along with former executives Henry Alcantara, Gerard Opulencia, and Sally Santos, on January 15, 2026, through the witness protection program of the Department of Justice.

Bernardo has thirty years of experience working as a government civil engineer and was subsequently appointed as Assistant Secretary in August 2016.

Last Wednesday, 11 March, the Sandiganbayan denied petitions from the nine Mimaropa executives to post bail after an investigation revealed that the officials released over P215 million in funds to Sunwest Inc.

The site in question was a river dike along the Subaan River that collapsed in August 2025 due to heavy rains brought by tropical depressions.