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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Lacson confirms P600-million unprogrammed funds for 2023 Bulacan flood control projects

Lacson confirms P600-million unprogrammed funds for 2023 Bulacan flood control projects

Published Sep 18, 2025 07:00 pm

At A Glance

  • The Senate Blue Ribbon probe revealed that ₱600 million from the 2023 unprogrammed budget was converted into Bulacan flood control projects.
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" confirmed on Thursday, Sept. 18, that ₱600 million was allocated for Bulacan flood control projects in the 2023 unprogrammed budget.
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson (Mark Balmores)
Lacson, who chairs the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigating the anomalous flood control projects, said that this is enumerated under the unprogrammed funds with projects listed at P75 million each.
This amount matched what Department of Public Works and Highways assistant engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez cited in his testimony, which he first floated in the House Infrastructure Committee (infra comm) inquiry.
Hernandez said there that in 2023, Senator Joel Villanueva released P600 million, and the SOP here was also 30 percent, the so-called “SOP” or standard operating procedure--a euphemism for commissions or kickbacks.
Lacson said that they we will have to deal with this in the next hearing.
According to Bulacan first district engineer Jaypee Mendoza, Villanueva requested P1.5 billion from former DPWH Bulacan First District Engineering Office head Henry Alcantara for a multi-purpose building.
Hernandez showed during the infra comm hearing photos of a Viber conversation that allegedly implicated Villanueva to anomalous flood control projects. He said these were photos of Viber messages pre-set to disappear within a few seconds; they cannot be screenshot.
Alcantara's defense was that the conversation was about Villanueva following-up about the request for the multi-purpose building. This was also confirmed by Mendoza.
"'Pag nagfofollow-up si Sen. Joel totoo naman po na ang nirerequest niya is multi-purpose building pero that time na hindi kaya yung amount na hinihingi ni Senator Joel (When Senator Joel makes a follow-up, it’s true that what he is requesting is a multi-purpose building, but at that time the amount Senator Joel was asking for could not be accommodated)," Mendoza said.
He stated that according to then DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, they can only allot P600 million.
"Naisipan po ni DE Henry na iconvert sa flood control yung P600 million which is kinuhaan po ng 25 percent yung mga contractor para ang maging total is 150 million (District Engineer Henry thought of converting the ₱600 million into flood control projects, from which 25 percent was taken from the contractors, making the total ₱150 million)," he explained.

Related Tags

ping lacson flood control Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Joel Villanueva
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