A witness in the malversation trial of former Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and his alleged co-conspirators testified that the office of former Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office chief Henry Alcantara received around 50 “commitments” tied to infrastructure projects.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Engineer John Carlo Rivera explained that the “commitments” were commissions collected from contractors and computed based on the appropriated budget of a particular project.
Rivera testified that the scheme was allegedly developed by Alcantara and Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, and began operating in 2022.
According to Rivera, he was tasked with coordinating with several contractors, including JB Construction, Triple 8 Construction, Top Notch Builders, Flordes Construction, and I Am Construction, which allegedly delivered cash to their office.
He said these were the contractors he could specifically recall, adding that they made deliveries three to four times, with each delivery amounting to approximately P10 million.
Rivera testified that after the money was received, it was allegedly turned over to Bernardo, who was responsible for distributing it to project proponents identified in the budget.
The witness identified former lawmakers Zaldy Co and Mitch Cajayon, Bernardo, and a certain “Ferdstar” as among the proponents who allegedly received shares.
With regard to Revilla, Rivera claimed that the senator personally requested a 30-percent share from the commitments, higher than the standard 25-percent cut allegedly imposed under the scheme.
However, Rivera admitted that he was not aware of any documentary evidence showing that commitments were delivered to the proponents or that the proponents themselves had requested the funds.
The testimony forms part of the prosecution's presentation of evidence in the ongoing malversation case. The allegations remain subject to judicial proceedings, and the accused are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
