Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson revealed in his privilege speech that government revenue losses allegedly reached ₱950 million due to the gambling activities of a group he branded the “BGC Boys.”
The “BGC Boys,” according to Lacson, refers to former DPWH Bulacan 1st District Engineer Henry Alcantara, Brice Ericson Hernandez, Assistant District Engineer Jaypee Mendoza, Engineer II Arjay Domasig, and Edrick San Diego — all of whom allegedly used aliases and fake IDs to gamble in casinos.
“Malulula tayo sa laki ng halagang naging talo sa casino ng limang ito, ₱950 million in gross losses, Mr. President, base ang mga ito sa official at validated na record mula mismo sa labing-tatlong casino sa Metro Manila, Cebu at Pampanga,” Lacson disclosed.
Lacson further alleged the group engaged in a money laundering scheme after recording “miraculous” casino winnings between August 31, 2023, and April 4, 2024, particularly in a Pasay City casino. He cited official casino records showing the following declared winnings:
- Henry Alcantara: ₱4,707,106
- Brice Ericson Hernandez: ₱189,068,665
- Jaypee Mendoza: ₱320,106,072
- Arjay Domasig: ₱7,379,485
- Edrick San Diego: ₱11,798,050
“Sinuwete nga kayang sabay-sabay na nanalo ang mga ito, Mr. President? O baka naman money laundering scheme?” Lacson asked pointedly.
The senator explained how the supposed scheme worked: cash would be converted into casino chips, a small amount would be gambled and lost, and the rest cashed out as “winnings” — laundering the money under the guise of legitimate gains.
“How so? Magpapalit ng cash into casino chips, pero pag natalo ng kaunti, pupunta sa cashier para mag cash out at ideklarang panalo ang pinagpalitan nilang chips. Smart? Your guess, at this point, is as good as mine,” Lacson said.
Lacson confirmed his office is now investigating the questionable winnings of the DPWH-linked group.