Romualdez not among project proponents in P5-B 'kickback deliveries' to Co --witness

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A prosecution witness on Tuesday said that former Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez was not among the proponents of flood control projects.

Engineer Carlo Rivera of the DPWH Bulacan First District Engineering Office made the testimony during the hearing on the bail petition by Romualdez, who is facing a P7.4 billion plunder case over alleged collection of kickbacks from government projects.

Rivera told the Sandiganbayan Third Division that the P5 billion worth of commitment fees or kickbacks he collected from contractors were delivered to his boss, then DPWH Bulacan First District Engineering Office chief Henry Alcantara, and ultimately then delivered to then House appropriations panel chairperson Zaldy Co of Ako Bicol party-list.

Rivera said Co will then distribute the commitment fund to proponents of flood control projects, including Co alongside the following:

• then Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo
• Senator Jinggoy Estrada
• former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.

Asked by Romualdez’s defense team to confirm if Romualdez is not included in the said list of project proponents, Rivera answered in the affirmative.

Rivera, however, also said that the project proponents were identified by Alcantara, who merely relayed the information to him.

By year, Rivera said that the commitment fees paid by contractors reached the following amounts:

2022 — P519 million

2023 — P12.93 billion

2024 — P14.19 billion

2025 — P7.385 billion

Likewise, Rivera told the anti-graft court that the commitment fees from contractors were tagged under Co’s name, and that he was the one contacting the contractors for commitment fees.

These contractors include:

• Topnotch Catalyst Builders
• ARL Builders
• Wawao Builders
• IM Construction Corp. and
• SYMS Construction Trading

The collection of commitment fees, Rivera said, was tasked to him by Alcantara and occurred from 2022 to 2025. —VAL, GMA News