During the malversation trial of former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, an official from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said that there was nothing inherently wrong with being tagged as a proponent for a government project.
Testifying as a witness in the proceedings, Engineer Gerald Longoria from the DPWH Programming Division said that any individual regardless of their status could be listed as a proponent for inclusion in the national budget.
Longoria further explained that there were some instances where public officials would personally request funding for some projects.
However, the engineer noted that the most common way that he was made aware of who would be included as project proponents was through the instructions of the late DPWH Undersecretary Catalina Cabral.
This was a similar revelation stated by Engr. Peter Paul Cortes, chief of the public works agency’s Programming Division, who also mentioned that he got names strictly from Cabral alone.
The supply of names were not limited to before the lists were submitted to Congress though as Longoria testified to have done numerous “erratas” to lists which would subsequently be handed over to the House as amendments.
Aside from name designations, the engineer revealed that there were some instances wherein he would receive documents for inclusion into budget procurements that had incomplete information and were not up to standard.
Given all the revelations he mentioned, Associate Justice Ronald Moreno ordered Longoria to submit any and all documents pertaining to lawmaker requests concerning flood control projects.
All these developments were part of the trial concerning Revilla and other DPWH officials concerning an anomalous flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan which was said to have cost P92.8 billion.
Aside from malversation, the former senator and his supposed cohorts are also facing a trial for graft charges at the Sandiganbayan.
