The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has recommended the filing of charges against several lawmakers and officials implicated in the flood control scandal, according to Department of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla.
During the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 23, Remulla revealed that the officials named in the NBI’s recommendation include Senators Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada and Joel Villanueva, Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co, former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, former Congresswoman Mich Cajayon-Uy, and Henry Alcantara, former head of the DPWH Bulacan First District Engineering Office.
Remulla made the announcement after returning from the DOJ office where he evaluated Alcantara’s statement.
Alcantara came forward to expose a multibillion-peso kickback scheme that allegedly diverted 25 to 30 percent of public infrastructure funds into illicit payouts between 2022 and 2025.
“We determined that the NBI would be investigating it and on the outset they recommended the filing of charges already so we treated this already as a complaint, with the NBI as the endorsing agency,” Remulla said.
Remulla said that they had also contacted the Anti–Money Laundering Council (AMLC), which he said had already issued freeze orders over the bank accounts of those he mentioned.
Remulla said charges include violation of Section 3 of the Republic Act (RA) 3019 of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, indirect bribery under Article 211 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), and malversation of public funds under Article 217 of the RPC. (Dhel Nazario)
