A high-ranking Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) official testified before the Sandiganbayan on Tuesday, alleging that the late Undersecretary Maria Catalina “Cathy” Cabral personally directed the inclusion of former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. as proponent of a ₱92.8-million flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.
Engr. Peter Cortez, chief of the DPWH Central Office’s Programming Division, made the statement during a bail hearing for Revilla and six others facing malversation charges.
Cortez said the project was not part of the initial budget proposal but was added through “errata” submitted to the House of Representatives in September 2024.
“Usec Cabral is the only one na nag-iinstruct sa amin,” Cortez testified. “I am sure, Sir. May instruction po ‘yun.”
He explained that the amendment explicitly named Revilla and bore the signatures of Cabral and then-Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan. The House later adopted the changes, and the project remained in the 2025 General Appropriations Act until it was signed into law.
The testimony complicates the case, as Cabral—identified as the source of the instruction—died in Benguet in December 2025 amid probes into alleged anomalies in flood control projects nationwide.
The Sandiganbayan is weighing Cortez’s testimony to determine whether the ₱92.8-million allocation was mishandled or diverted for personal gain.
Revilla, who has faced similar budget-related cases in the past, continues to deny wrongdoing.