FORMER Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo on Thursday told the Sandiganbayan that he never had direct transactions with former Speaker Ferdinand and Leyte Rep. Martin G. Romualdez with regard to kickbacks from flood control and infrastructure projects of the government.
Bernardo was one of the witnesses presented by the prosecution during Thursday’s continuation of the hearing on the bail petition filed by Romualdez in connection with the plunder charges filed against him.
During cross-examination conducted by defense lawyer Thea Daep, Bernardo admitted receiving financial benefits from infrastructure projects associated with various proponents which he called ‘balato’ or token.
But, the former DPWH official admitted that he had no personal project transactions or financial arrangements with Romualdez.
Asked whether the former Speaker had participated in discussions involving project commitments, Bernardo replied: ‘Wala po.’
Bernardo also acknowledged that none of his six affidavits identified Romualdez as a project proponent or linked him to negotiations involving commissions and financial commitments.
The only mention of Romualdez in one of his affidavits was in relation to the birthday party of the daughter of former DPWH secretary and now Sen. Mark Villar where he said he saw the former Speaker was one of the guests.
He clarified that the occasion was ‘strictly a social event.’
Bernardo added that he had no knowledge of any commitment fee scheme involving DPWH projects in Leyte.
He also acknowledged that, among the four accused in the case, he was aware only of the involvement of former Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co of Ako Bicol, which he had learned about in connection with projects in Bulacan.
On the other hand, the defense team did not cross-examine another prosecution witness Edrick San Diego since his judicial affidavit contained no allegations against Romualdez.
San Diego, who served as the driver of former DPWH Bulacan First District Engineer Henry Alcantara, testified that he allegedly delivered boxes of money to Bernardo at the Diamond Hotel.
He also testified about alleged deliveries of boxes to addresses associated with Co at Valle Verde and Horizon at the Fort Shangri-La.
Bernardo also said that he had been aware of irregular infrastructure project arrangements since approximately 2002, when he was serving as a district engineer in Manila.
‘Hindi na po bago [It’s not new anymore]. As far as I can tell, it was already happening during my time as district engineer in Manila in 2002,’ he said.
The practice, based on his testimony, existed about two decades before Romualdez assumed the speakership in July 2022.
Bernardo explained that project proponents negotiated different commission rates, ranging from 10 percent to 25 percent and sometimes reaching 30 percent.
Based on his conversations with district engineers, Bernardo said some proponents demanded as much as 30 percent.
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Bernardo also confirmed that the DPWH and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) exercised key responsibilities over infrastructure project preparation and funding releases and the Speaker’s office had no role in the release of a Special Allotment Release Orders (Saros) and was not involved in the bidding process.
Bernardo also testified that the bidding process is conducted solely by the DPWH being the implementing agency and that the Speaker’s Office is not involved in any way.