QUEZON CITY — A former official of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) testified before the Sandiganbayan on Tuesday, October 20, stating that an entrenched kickback scheme for government infrastructure projects was already operational before Martin Romualdez assumed the role of House Speaker.
Taking the stand during the bail hearing for Romualdez’s plunder case, former DPWH District Engineer Henry Alcantara told the anti-graft court’s 3rd Division that his dealings involving former Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co began back in 2021. Romualdez was subsequently elected House Speaker a year later in 2022.
Alcantara, now a state witness linked to Bulacan flood control projects, explained that former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo introduced him to Co in 2021. According to the witness, system arrangements concerning project allocations and contractor payments were already established at that time.
Both Romualdez and Co face a ₱7.4 billion plunder complaint filed by the Office of the Ombudsman regarding controversial flood control allocations. Romualdez is currently detained at the new Quezon City Jail, whereas Co left the country when the infrastructure controversy surfaced.
Detailing the mechanics of the illicit operation, Alcantara stated that Co offered to facilitate project allocations in exchange for a 20% commitment fee from contractors. This cut reportedly escalated to 25% after Co assumed leadership of the House Committee on Appropriations under Romualdez’s speakership.
The witness detailed that these kickbacks originated from contractors colluding to guarantee that government projects were awarded to favored bidders who had already paid their commitment fees. Contractors advanced funds anticipating project awards, collecting payments prior to implementation, and sometimes even ahead of the bidding process and the official release of government funds.
Alcantara noted that participating bidders often coordinated to determine which company would secure specific infrastructure contracts, while remaining bidders joined strictly to satisfy procedural requirements.
When pressed by the defense whether the transactions required Romualdez’s explicit approval, Alcantara clarified that he did not deal directly with the lawmaker, instead coordinating with Co’s two executive assistants.
Under cross-examination by defense counsel, Alcantara acknowledged that Romualdez was absent from both prior congressional inquiries and his initial affidavits, noting that his direct coordination for infrastructure funding involved Co, Bernardo, and their respective intermediaries.