Brice Hernandez, 6 ex-DPWH officials plead 'not guilty' to flood control graft raps

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Former Assistant Engineer Brice Hernandez of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan First District Engineering Office and six others pleaded not guilty in the graft case involving an alleged P77 million ghost flood control project in Balagtas, Bulacan.

Hernandez, alongside his former fellow DPWH officials and co-accused Jaypee Mendoza, Arjay Domasig, Niño Lawrence Morales, Juanito Mendoza, Floralyn Simbulan, and Christina Mae Pineda entered the plea before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division on Wednesday.

There were three other accused in the case who were not arranged, as they are still at large, namely:

• Former House appropriations panel chairperson Zaldy Co of Ako Bicol party-list
• John Paul Estrada and
• Mark Tecsay

Estrada and Tecsay were identified as Co’s staff members.

Ombudsman prosecutors allege that the P77 million flood control project was started in February 2025, completed by May 2025, but was found non-existent during on-site inspection.

The DPWH officials who pleaded not guilty are already in detention since they are also facing a malversation and graft case involving a P92.8 million flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan which project site has no physical structure. —VAL, GMA News