Alcantara: 20% kickback began in 2022, hiked during Romualdez’ time

MANILA, Philippines — The alleged 20% “commitment” or kickback scheme in infrastructure projects began in 2022 and escalated to 25% during the time of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

State witness and ex-Public Works engineer Henry Alcantara made this statement to the Sandiganbayan Third Division during the plunder bail hearing of the Leyte lawmaker over a purported P7.44 billion kickback.

Alcantara said the alleged commitment rate of former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co was first made during the House speakership of either Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano or former Rep. Lord Alan Velasco.

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Romualdez’s lawyer, Thea Daep, asked Alcantara when the 20% scheme of Co first occurred, and the witness answered: “Cayetano or Velasco.”

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Inquirer sought the comment of Cayetano and Velasco, but they have yet to respond as of posting time.

Co, the former House Appropriations Committee chairperson during Romualdez’s speakership, was a co-accused in this case. Co first became the Ako Bicol party-list representative in 2019.

Alcantara said he submitted a list of projects to Co sometime in 2021, in exchange for alleged 20 percent “commitments.” 

He then said he delivered the alleged kickbacks to Co in February 2022. 

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Romualdez never previously mentioned

Alcantara then said that before this hearing, he had never mentioned Romualdez in his previous testimonies before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and the House of Representatives panel.

In his recross examination, Ian Mateo of the Office of the Special Prosecutor asked Alcantara when the “commitments” began to increase.

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“It started for the funding of the 2023 NEP (National Expenditure Program),” Alcantara said in response to Mateo’s questions.

Alcantara further clarified that the NEP for the 2023 budget was prepared in 2022,  during the time of “Speaker Romualdez.”

Bernardo also allegedly received a 25% kickback 

According to Alcantara, he only gave lists of projects for funding requests either to Co or Roberto Bernardo, as revealed by the clarificatory questions of Associate Justice Ronald Moreno. 

Alcantara was the former district engineer of Bulacan First District Engineering Office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), while Bernardo is a former DPWH Undersecretary who also became a state witness. 

Initially, Co got 20% “commitments,” but it was later increased to 25% in 2023, according to Alcantara.

Like Co’s, the state witness said Bernardo also got a 25% “commitment” from the list of projects. 

“It started in 2023, their [percentage of commitments] became the same,” Alcantara told the court.

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“I did not mention it to Zaldy Co, but I told Usec Bernardo that the [commitments] for Zaldy Co is also 25 [percent],” he also said. /apl