Senator Joel Villanueva on Friday, September 19 vowed to file legal charges against the personalities behind the flood control project controversy.

Villanueva made the statement in light of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s refusal to clear him and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada over alleged budget insertions in the 2023 and 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

This, after former assistant district engineers Brice Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza implicated him in the anomalous flood control projects in Bulacan during a hearing at the House of Representatives. Both Hernandez and Mendoza have been cited in contempt by the Senate.

“Tama na. Sawa na po tayo sa paratang nawalang pruweba. Labanan na lang natin ito sa tamang forum—sa korte. Idedemanda ko po sila. At doon ko na din po haharapin lahat (Enough. We are tired of accusations that are devoid of any evidence. Let's just fight this in the right forum—in court. I will sue them. And I will face everything there),” Villanueva said.

“Sa taumbayan, malinaw po: wala akong tinatago. Nananatili akong nakatutok sa tunay na trabaho—ang maglingkod nang tapat at may malasakit (To the people, it is clear: I have nothing to hide. I remain focused on my real job—serving honestly and with sincerity),” he reiterated.

During Thursday’s hearing at the Senate, Villanueva reiterated how the alleged screenshots of his conversations with a DPWH engineer could have easily been fabricated by quickly altering the metadata of photos taken on mobile phones.

Villanueva showed that the name registered in a number was changed to “Congressman” and the date indicated in the photo was altered from Sept. 17, 2025 to Oct. 17, 2023.

“Mr. Chairman, it took me 20 seconds, Mr. Chairman, to do that,” Villanueva said during the hearing. “If we rely on pictures, anyone can claim anything,” he lamented.

Villanueva demonstrated this after Mendoza claimed that he had a conversation with dismissed DPWH district engineer Henry Alcantara, who has also been cited in contempt by the Senate.

Mendoza claimed that Villanueva requested a P1.5-billion budget for a multi-purpose building from Alcantara and the latter said former DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan could only allot P600-million.

In his statement on Friday, Villanueva reiterated he never received any kickbacks from any contractor or any project for that matter.

Villanueva also denied making budget insertions under the unprogrammed funds in the GAA saying ordinary senators do not have such kind of authority.

“Klaro po sa akin: sindikato, may interes sa 2028, may gustong sumikat, at ako raw ang gustong ialay bilang sacrificial lamb (It’s clear to me: this is the work of a syndicate, who has an interest to run in 2028, wants to be popular and wants to make me as the sacrificial lamb),” he pointed out.

“Huwag po natin kalimutan, nag-umpisa po itonoong itinuro po natin si Zaldy Co na naglagay ng congressional insertion sa Bulacan noong 2023. Dahil sa pagkadawit ni Zaldy Co, nag-umpisa naang pagsira sa pangalan ko (Let’s not forget, this started when I pointed to Rep. Zaldy Co who made the congressional insertion in Bulacan in 2023. Because of Zaldy Co being implicated, they started destroying my reputation),” the senator said.

Vouching for ICI

Meanwhile, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said he is vouching that the investigation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) will yield truthful and fair results and absolve him in the flood control mess.

Estrada said he has full confidence and faith that the truth will come out in the investigation of the ICI and that the real culprits behind the ghost and substandard projects will be prosecuted.

“It is my earnest expectation that the ICI will recognize and unmask Mr. Brice Hernandez for what he really is – an incredible and unreliable witness whose allegations have repeatedly collapsed under scrutiny, and whose fabrications cannot stand against facts,” Estrada said.