All Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects nationwide allegedly have kickbacks, its former Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo told the Sandiganbayan Third Division on Thursday.
Bernardo, a career DPWH official of four decades, made this bombshell revelation when he testified during the former House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s bail hearing for a plunder case over alleged kickbacks worth P7.44 billion.
Associate Justice Karl Miranda, Third Division chair, asked if ‘all DPWH projects have proponents,’ and Bernardo replied in affirmative.
Miranda further pressed if all of these projects ‘have proponents, commitments and kickbacks’ and Bernardo replied: ‘Yes.’
Bernardo, during the cross examination of Romualdez’s lawyer Thea Daep, said he is referring to all DPWH projects nationwide, including flood control projects.
In his written testimony cited by Daep, Bernardo said the alleged ‘commitments’ or kickbacks ranged from 10 to 25 percent of the project cost ‘and in some cases higher, depending on the arrangement of the parties involved.’
Miranda asked Bernardo what the percentage he is referring to when he said that ‘commitments’ could be higher than 25 percent.
‘I am not actually privy there but there are those who said 30 percent is the highest,’ Bernardo said.
‘I’ve just heard that,’ the witness also said, adding that he heard it from other DPWH district engineers.
Daep also asked Bernardo as to how the earliest time he could recall there was an ‘SOP’ or kickback scheme on projects.
‘It was during the time when I was district engineer,’ Bernardo said in response to Daep, saying this was around 2002.
Associate Justice Ronald Moreno asked Bernardo if he knows of any project proponent who did not get a ‘commitment’ or kickbacks.
‘Meron pa bang bayani sa Pilipinas na legislator? (Are there still any heroic legislators in the Philippines?),’ Moreno asked.
Bernardo said he has not heard of any proponent who refused to accept ‘commitment’ when offered.
Asked if he knew of any lawmakers who had never been a proponent, Bernardo said: ‘Only Senator [Panfilo] Lacson.