The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Wednesday that the government has successfully retrieved ₱841 million in cash linked to alleged corruption in flood control projects, with the full amount now deposited into the National Treasury.
According to the DOJ, the funds were surrendered by former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials Roberto Bernardo, Henry Alcantara, and Gerard Opulencia, along with SYMS Construction owner Sally Santos.
“The President’s message was plain: what is recovered belongs to the Filipino people, and those who betrayed the public trust must answer before the courts,” the DOJ stated.
“To date, ₱841 million in cash has been recovered from those involved and remitted to the National Treasury through the Land Bank of the Philippines. The work continues. We will recover the people’s money,” the agency added.
Breakdown of the returned funds shows Bernardo accounting for the largest share at ₱500 million, followed by Alcantara with ₱181 million, Opulencia with ₱140 million, and Santos with ₱20 million.
The DOJ affirmed it is working closely with the Office of the Ombudsman to build airtight court cases against those involved. The recovery aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s pledge during his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) to prosecute anyone tied to the scheme, regardless of political or personal connections.