Bernardo: Estrada gets P573-M kickbacks

Senator Jinggoy Estrada received infrastructure kickbacks totaling P573 million from contractors over a nine-month period between 2024 and 2025, former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo said.

Bernardo made the claim during his testimony at the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division bail hearing in Estrada’s plunder case over the allegations.

The former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) executive turned state witness said the amount came from the 25 percent commitment fee taken from projects in which the senator served as a proponent.

It was stated during the proceedings that the total amount of projects that Estrada pushed for inclusion in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) totaled P2.3 billion.

Bernardo said the commitment fees he received came from fellow state witness and former Bulacan 1st district engineer Henry Alcantara, who delivered the amounts to his residence at the Diamond Hotel in Manila.

Kickback deliveries

As for the delivery of commitment fees to Estrada, Bernardo claimed that he would call the senator to affirm that a member of his staff would carry out the deliveries.

Vergel Niño Santos, one of the undersecretary’s staff, previously testified before the Sandiganbayan in a separate case that he had delivered for Bernardo to numerous public officials.

Santos said he brought 12 boxes to Estrada, alleging he even saw the senator during the deliveries.

He noted that he was not personally aware of what was inside the boxes and did not necessarily take the initiative to ask his boss about the contents.

Estrada, who asked to leave his hearing before it concluded, told reporters he found numerous inconsistencies in Bernardo’s testimony.

Capability queried

Lawyer Laurence Arroyo particularly challenged the witness’ ability to recall Estrada’s involvement in the scheme in his more recent affidavits.

In response, Bernardo said the primary reason for the development was his desire to make his testimony as detailed as possible.

“It’s difficult to speak without first seeking confirmation,” the witness stated.

To do so, Bernardo said he communicated with former DPWH National Capital Region regional director Gerard Opulencia and recovered the project lists that Estrada allegedly requested be inserted.

He said he conducted a more thorough review of the documents after he was called as a resource person in the Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing on the flood control controversy in 2025.