The former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Assistant Regional Director of the National Capital Region said that contractors gave them cash as a form of gratitude whenever infrastructure projects were successfully completed.
Engr. Gerard Opulencia, a witness under the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Witness Protection Program (WPP), took to the stand in the bail hearing of former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla and other DPWH officials at the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division this Friday.
Opulencia testified to knowing about the existence of what has been previously labeled as “commitments” that was a percentage taken from funding allocated to a specific project and given to a proponent from the designated contractor.
These proponents could be any individuals ranging from government officials such as Senators, Congressmen, Mayors, and Councilors and even private individuals based on testimonies from former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo.
The former Assistant Regional Director claimed that he was ordered by Bernardo to serve as a sort of middle man in the deliveries of said commitments, with the role of coordinating with contractors to ensure that cash was already prepared.
He said that his knowledge on the matter only extends to what he was instructed to do and that he did not know of where the funds were taken from nor if the delivery of commitments were actually carried out.
He noted that the practice only began in 2024 upon the orders of the former DPWH official and that there were no constitutional mandates which stated that proponents were authorized to receive a share in a project's funding.
Despite any sufficient basis for the activity, Opulencia expressed that he simply followed orders as he had owed his entire career to Bernardo.
“So, Bernardo made you?” asked Associate Justice Ronald Moreno.
“Yes, your honor,” the witness answered.
With his presupposed minimal knowledge on the matter, Justice Karl Miranda then sought to understand what had forced the witness to voluntarily surrender himself to the DOJ and be enrolled to its WPP.
Opulencia said that it was brought from his name being included as a respondent in cases linked to flood control. Upon assessment through the DOJ, he was then recommended to become a protected witness.
However, Miranda pointed out that his stance as a witness was very limited and that his credibility was questionable.
Cash as thanks
Further questioning from Moreno revealed that Opulencia was the recipient of grants from contractors as a form of thanks for the successful funding and completion of projects, receiving as much as P1 million from these exchanges.
He also mentioned that he had been mandated by the DOJ to return P150 million as restitution for his time as the District Engineer of Manila.