P299 M in cash delivered to DPWH Bulacan, witness testifies in flood control hearing
A liaison officer of a construction firm implicated in the flood control mess told the Sandiganbayan on Monday, April 20, that she delivered P299 million to the former official of the Bulacan Engineering District of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
In her testimony during the bail hearing of then senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Monica Louise Ocampo-Santos of SYMS Construction Trading said the money she gave to then Bulacan district engineer Brice Hernandez was hidden in grocery boxes for chips, coffee, soy sauce, and noodles.
Ocampo-Santos explained that the P299 million already included the P74 million allotted for the project in Pandi, Bulacan where Revilla was implicated and has been charged with graft and non-bailable malversation of public funds.
She further explained in her testimony that while the project cost in Pandi town was P92.8 million, only P74 million was left because of value- added tax (VAT), retention fees, as well as the three percent "royalty" of Sally Santos, the owner of the construction firm.
When asked if she received any money from the millions she delivered to Hernandez, Ocampo-Santos said “none.” But, she said, she sometimes received from her aunt-in-law, Sally Santos, P3,000 for her baby’s milk.
Sally Santos has been accepted as a state witness. She testified last April 8 that she withdrew P400 million and delivered the cash to Hernandez for their dealings in the DPWH's infrastructure projects.
Also in her testimony, Ocampo-Santos said that she personally witnessed the P400 million delivery to Hernandez.
She established their family's strong connection with the DPWH officials by revealing that Hernandez, Engineers Henry Alcantara and Jaypee Mendoza, as well as Accountant Juanito Mendoza were her godfathers during her wedding.
Aside from malversation of public funds, Revilla and his co-accused have also been charged with graft.
They are now detained at the Quezon City jail in Barangay Payatas.
Revilla attended the April 20 hearing. But he asked the Sandiganbayan permission to leave early. His lawyer, Reody Anthony Balisi, attributed Revilla's condition to the heat from his jail cell.
The Sandiganbayan will conclude the hearing on Revilla’s bail petition on April 24.