Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan 1st District Assistant Engineer Brice Hernandez is no longer insisting on becoming a state witness in the ongoing probe into the alleged flood control project anomalies, according to Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla.
Remulla made the statement after both Hernandez and former DPWH Bulacan 1st District Engineer Henry Alcantara were summoned by the Office of the Ombudsman for its fact-finding investigation into the multi-billion-peso irregularities.
The Ombudsman clarified that Hernandez is now being treated as a “cooperative witness” rather than a potential state witness, citing the difficulty of granting blanket immunity in a corruption case of such scale.
“Open shot case ’yan, eh. Whether or not they cooperate, mako-convict naman sila talaga diyan, ‘di ba? Hindi mo naman kailangan [ng] state witness doon kung tutuusin,” said Remulla.
Hernandez previously implicated Senate Deputy Minority Leader Joel Villanueva and Senator Jinggoy Estrada, alleging that they received kickbacks from anomalous flood control projects under the DPWH.
Remulla emphasized that while Hernandez’s cooperation is appreciated, the case against those involved remains strong regardless of whether he becomes a state witness.