A retired official of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) turned emotional when he testified before the Senate’s investigation on the anomalies surrounding the government’s flood control project, implicating former and incumbent lawmakers, DPWH officials and other personalities in the mess. 

Roberto Bernardo, a former DPWH undersecretary and a resident of Malolos City, Bulacan, in his testimony before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Friday, November 14, also admitted to receiving kickbacks when he named several politicians allegedly involved in the anomalous infrastructure projects, having worked for the agency for decades.

Though their names have already been mentioned previously by other witnesses in the same hearing, Bernardo, in his own testimony, implicated in the flood control mess former senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. Nancy Binay, Grace Poe and former Representatives Mary Mitzi “Mitch” Cajayon-Uy, Zaldy Co, Florida Robes, and former undersecretary Trygve Olaivar of the Department of Education (DepEd).

He also mentioned having transactions with Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Mark Villar, Francis “Chiz” Escudero.

Cabral

Bernardo claimed he worked closely with then DPWH Secretary Mark Villar, Undersecretary Maria Catalina “Cathy” Cabral, and eventually, with former Secretary Manuel Bonoan, whom he considered his mentor and friend.

“Prior to Sec. Bonoan’s assumption as secretary of the DPWH, I was the DPWH Undersecretary for Operations and Planning for NCR (National Capital Region) and Visayas, having assumed the said position in 2018,” Bernardo said, as he read his sworn second supplemental affidavit.

“Unlike during the time of Sec. Mark Villar, when I was not given much tasks, even removed as BAC (Bids and Awards Committee) chairman and had very limited operational functions during the COVID pandemic period, Sec. Bonoan entrusted me with more operational functions and let me work more closely with Usec. Cabral,” he narrated.

Also according to Bernardo, that as a general rule and with very little exceptions, it was Cabral—with the imprimatur of the former DPWH secretaries—who had control, at the DPWH level, “to remove, include, add, deduct or modify insertions of items” in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for Infrastructure or those pertaining to DPWH.

It was also Cabral, he said, who would communicate and meet legislators to inform them of the amount of their allocations and ask them for project titles that they want to include in the DPWH budget. 

Moreover, he said it was Cabral who had “total influence and authority” in the preparation and finalization of the NEP for Infrastructure.

“On multiple occasions, I personally delivered and also caused to be delivered cash to Usec. Cabral at her house in Tatalon, Quezon City and other places,” he said.

In addition, he said Cabral would reserve a substantial percentage of the “allocable” NEP for her and Bonoan’s preferred projects, though she would make it appear that “100 percent allocable NEP had been apportioned.”

From time to time, Bonoan would also ask him to take charge of part of his own reserved allocations. 

“The value of the projects that I handled for Sec. Manny Bonoan was at least P5-billion per annum for the years 2023, 2024, and 2025 with a 15 percent average commitment. Of this, Bonoan usually would give me 25% of the commitment with the rest of the commitment shared between him and Usec. Cabral,” Bernardo said.

He added Cabral, herself, took charge of her own reserved allocations.

Friends with Revilla, Estrada

According to Bernardo, he and former senator Revilla have a close and friendly relationship since the time of Amay Bisaya and Mayor Viceo who first introduced him to the former legislator in 2005 or 2006.

In fact, Revilla later on became a godparent to two of his daughters, while he became a godparent to one of his children. 

Bernardo recalled that, sometime in the third quarter of 2024, he met with Revilla who asked him for a list of projects for funding ostensibly to help him in his national campaign.

When Revilla asked about the percentage of the commitment, Bernardo said he suggested “either 20% or 25%”, to which the senator said: “25%.”

He, then, asked then district engineer Henry Alcantara to prepare a list of projects for Revilla which he subsequently gave to him. The list of total projects yielded to him by the DPWH amounted to P1.5-billion. 

Later on, Bernardo said that after Revilla followed up his “25 percent commitment” from Cabral, he then proceeded to deliver the money which were packed in six cardboard boxes, each containing at least P20 million and one paper bag, containing P5-million. The total amount of this commitment was P125-million.

“I called up Sen. Revilla to inform him the same is ready to be turned over to him,” saying that he delivered the items sometime in December 2024 with his driver at the “White House Compound” the ancestral home of the Revillas with a large blue gate entrance at that time. 

At that time of the delivery of the supposed “commitment,” Bernardo said he even inquired Revilla about the status of his senatorial campaign, to which the latter said: “Okay naman pare, Maganda results ng survey. Relax muna.”

He also said that before the start of the campaign period for national elective, sometime in February 2025, he again delivered another “25 percent commitment” to Revilla at the same White House compound, on Aguinaldo Highway, Bacoor, Cavite, this time amounting to P250-million.

Estrada, according to Bernardo, is also a close friend when he was assistant regional director at the DPWH. According to him, Estrada supported his bid to be a regional director in 2010. He also visited Estrada, and Revilla, when they were incarcerated at the PNP Custodial Center.

In 2023, he said Estrada requested Bonoan for projects worth P500 million, and the ex-DPWH chief had agreed to give P450-million for the DPWH NCR building which Cabral included in the 2024 NEP with an 18% percent commitment for Estrada.

In the third quarter of 2024, Estrada again requested P1-billion from Bonoan, with a 25% commitment. “’Tulungan mo na lang ako diyan kasi marami pa akong tutulungan sa election (Just help me with that because I’m helping a lot of people in the election)’,” Bernardo said quoting Estrada’s appeal to them back then.

Eventually, the DPWH gave in to his request; during the bicameral conference committee, projects worth P750-million were again included in the projects to eventually form part of the 2025 GAA. The total budget for projects which appeared in the 2025 GAA is approximately P1.4-billion, more or less, Bernardo said.

Opulencia, Bernardo said, again collected the 25% commitment for Estrada, approximately P360-million, and delivered it to the senator at Diamond Hotel in Manila; some of the amount, which were in boxes, were delivered to the senator at the Artiaga Building in San Juan City. 

According to Bernardo, Estrada personally confirmed to him that he received his “commitment and thanked” him.

Trygve Olaivar

In the course of his testimony, Bernardo also claimed having similar transactions with the staff of several lawmakers, particularly former Senator and now Makati City Mayor Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay and former Sen. Sonny Angara, and now Department of Education (DepEd) secretary.

But Bernardo did not specify having met with these lawmakers saying all the transactions were coursed through Olaivar.

Olaivar, he said, introduced him to Carleen Yap-Villa, Binay’s aide, who first transacted with him regarding the latter’s projects and commitment sometime in 2022. He said Yap-Villa requested, on behalf of Binay, a list of projects worth around P1.882-billion “with 12% commitment.” For this transaction, Bernardo said he profited 3% of the P1.882-billion.

For 2023, Bernardo said he provided another list of projects for inclusion and funding under the 2024 General Approprations Act (GAA) for Binay, which initially amounted to P2.5-billion, but was later on slashed to P1.672-billion.

Bernardo said he later on learned that some individual or group offered Binay a higher amount of commitment of 15% instead of the previous 12% “with a promise that the commitment would be released much earlier.”

Olaivar, he said, intervened on his behalf, after learning of the plan, confronted Carleen and said to her: “Bakit niyo binabawasan ang kay Robert? Siya din naman ang nilalapitan ng mga yan pagka nagka-problema (Why are you reducing Robert's share? He's still the one they go to when they have problems).”

Later on Carleen, he said, called him up on December 2023 and requested for a P50-million advance for the then senator’s use for the holiday season because the “individual or group was unable to deliver on their promise and which I then helped to fix.” He also then, agreed to increase the commitment from 12% to 15%.

“I did not get any percentage from the said projects worth P1.672-billion but I was reimbused the P50-million which I earlier advaned, I was nurturing good will with Sen. Binay by fulfilling the commitment,” Bernardo said.

Also, under the NEP for 2025, Bernardo said Bonoan allocated P500 million for Binay under the NEP. The list of projects was then included in the NEP for 2025. 

Sometime in the last quarter of 2024, he said Carleen again said Binay asked for a list of projects to be included in the 2025 GAA; he then, submitted a list of projects, consolidated by Alcantara and Engr. Gerard Opulencia, regional director for the NCR, a total of P3-billion, but only P2.6-billion was included. 

During this time, Bernardo said they had difficulty in collecting the commitment as there were contractors/congressmen who did not give the amount considering the issue of “For Later Release” (FLR) projects totaling approximately P80-million, and which he had to advance.

“I did not get any percentage from the projects worth P3.120-billion for the NEP and GAA of 2025 for Sen. Binay,” he said.

Mayor Binay, however, rejected Bernardo’s claims in a statement: “Tahimik na po tayong nagtatrabaho bilang Mayor ng Makati, at uulitin ko po: Wala po akong kinalaman, ni anumang papel, sa anumang proyekto sa flood control, at wala po akong empleyado sa senado na kayang gawin ang ibinabato sa akin (We are now quietly working as mayor of Makati, and I repeat: I have no knowledge, nor any paper, or any project on flood control, and I have no employee in the Senate who can do those things being said about me).”

“I will not allow lies such as this to distract my focus in serving the people of Makati,” she further said.

According to Bernardo, he and Olaivar also had transactions with Angara between 2019 and 2024. He claimed Olaivar received deliveries representing 12 percent of the projects of Angara when the latter was Senate finance panel chief.

In a statement, Angara denied having any such transactions: “We reject any insinuation made today that we were involved in anomalous projects. In my 21 years in government, we have never been involved in corruption.”

Bernardo also said that in his transactions with Escudero for a list of infrastructure projects, it was Maynard Ngu, who was appointed special envoy to China for trade, investments and tourism in 2023, who acted in behalf of the senator.

For Poe, it was a certain J.Y. Dela Rosa, a staff of the then senator who asked for a list of projects. Bonoan, according to Bernardo, also told him that a P500 million for Poe was ready and told him to ask the senator for a list of projects.

Bernardo alleged there was a “20-percent commitment collected” for the senator. But a certain Mrs. Patron, a contractor, collected the commitment for Poe at Diamond Hotel from one of his aides.

Exercise caution

For his part, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III urged his colleagues to exercise caution in the course of the testimony of the witnesses in the Senate flood control probe.

“I would just like to manifest and also caution the committee on the information we are receiving. While the statements are proper and these are sworn statements, there are certain concerns, that we need to take it as it is,” Sotto pointed out.

“For example, (when he mentioned) the staff of this senator, he didn’t mention the senator, but the staff. For example, in the case of Sen. Grace Poe, it’s the staff of Grace Poe, whom he was talking to, not Grace Poe,” he explained.

“And also, on the percentage supposedly for Sen. Mark (Villar), he said presumably for, it wasn’t also said it was for him. Just a manifestation for the consumption of the committee, when we analyze this affidavits or the sworn statements,” he stressed. 

Villar, in a statement, also vehemently and categorically denied Bernardo’s accusations. 

“Isa po itong malaking kasinungalingan (This is all a lie).  I ask the public to be discerning and not to rush judgment based solely on a person’s affidavit, which may be manufactured or tailored fit for his or other people’s convenience,” he said.

“I stand by my untarnished record as a long-serving public servant as a Representative, DPWH Secretary, and Senator of this Republic,” Villar reiterated.

Remorse, guilt

Bernardo told Senate probers he was ready to provide additional pieces of evidence, supporting records and confirm supporting facts to provide more details regarding these transactions and dealings he had with these politicians and top government officials.

“It has always been my philosophy to form good working relationships between and among my bosses and/or superiors, inferiors and/or subordinates and other colleagues even without the promise of expectations of a reward or personal advantage,” Bernardo told the panel, chaired by Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.

“Unfortunately, this professional orientation of mine has forced me to compromising situations... I reiterate my deep remorse and guilt for what I have done and I am now animated by an honest desire to help rectify the institutional defects in the systems and operations not only of the DPWH, but also other government agencies and help in developing lasting and meaningful reforms,” he said.