The Department of Justice (DOJ) is moving swiftly to resolve by mid-December the preliminary investigation into five criminal cases relating to anomalous flood control contracts in Bulacan.
On Friday, a preliminary investigation was conducted, attended mostly by lawyers of the involved officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), for the purpose of receiving their copies of the complaints.
DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez said that all respondents have until November 24 to answer the complaint via a counter-affidavit and submit supporting evidence.
‘So, today starts the conduct of preliminary investigation. We held our very first hearing, at which time the complaints were issued to the respondents for the filing of their counter-affidavit, which is scheduled on Nov. 24,’ Martinez told reporters.
After the filing of counter-affidavits and replies, if there are any, he said: ‘Evidence will be assessed based on what was presented. and by around mid-December, we will have a resolution.’
Key figures implicated across the five complaints include current and former DPWH officials, including Bulacan-District Engineer Henry Alcantara and former Assistant District Engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez, while one of the complaints has over 20 respondents.