Testimonies before separate divisions of the Sandiganbayan on Tuesday shed further light on alleged kickbacks and budget insertions involving government flood control projects, implicating key lawmakers while clearing former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
During the continuation of the bail petition hearing for detained Sen. Jinggoy Estrada before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division, former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan testified that Estrada had sought the inclusion of ?1 billion worth of projects in the 2025 national budget.
Bonoan told the court that Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo submitted Estrada’s project list. While DPWH Undersecretary Catalina Cabral initially recommended ?500 million, the amount was doubled to ?1 billion through Bernardo’s prodding.
According to Bonoan, Bernardo cited Estrada’s position as Senate President Pro Tempore and claimed the additional ?500 million was requested to help cover election expenses, though Estrada did not run in 2025 as his term was still ongoing.
Bonoan acknowledged he never spoke directly with Estrada and that the request was relayed through Bernardo, but maintained that Estrada requested a 25-percent commitment fee. Of the requested ?1 billion, ?700 million was ultimately approved in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA). Estrada is currently facing a ?573-million plunder case over alleged flood control kickbacks.
Meanwhile, in a separate hearing before the Sandiganbayan Third Division on Romualdez’s bail petition, prosecution witness and DPWH Engineer John Carlo C. Rivera testified that Romualdez was not involved in the kickback scheme.
Rivera, who served under former Bulacan District Engineer Henry Alcantara from 2019 to 2025, admitted to personally collecting, counting, and recording kickback funds on Post-it notes before handing them over to Alcantara.
However, Rivera confirmed under cross-examination by defense counsel Ronald Solis that Romualdez was never named as a project proponent, cash recipient, or participant in any of the transactions.
Instead, Rivera named former Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co of Ako Bicol, former DPWH Undersecretary Bernardo, Estrada, and former senator Ramon Revilla Jr. as the individuals identified to him by Alcantara. Rivera clarified that the project commitments were tied to Bulacan-not Leyte, which Romualdez represents-and were tagged under Co’s name.
Responding to Associate Justice Karl B. Miranda, Rivera confirmed that project proponent lists in the National Expenditure Program and GAA remained unchanged.