MANILA, Philippines — Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) operations undersecretary Roberto Bernardo has committed to restituting ₱1 billion to the government as part of his agreement to join the state’s witness protection program (WPP) in the ongoing probe into anomalous flood control projects, the Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed.
Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon said Bernardo’s pledge was disclosed in an interview and that the amount will be returned “over a period of time” under the terms of the witness accord signed with prosecutors.
Bernardo is one of four former DPWH officials and a private contractor who signed memoranda of agreement with the government to serve as state witnesses in cases tied to alleged kickbacks and irregularities involving multi-billion-peso flood control projects. The others include dismissed district engineer Henry Alcantara, DPWH-NCR regional director Gerard Opulencia, and contractor Sally Santos, head of SYMS Construction Trading.
Fadullon noted that the three other witnesses have also agreed to pay back ill-gotten funds, with roughly ₱317 million already remitted to the National Treasury through partial restitutions. These include payments made by Alcantara, Opulencia and Santos between late November and December last year.
Under the DOJ’s computation, the restitution amounts are based on each individual’s benefit from the projects they were involved in; investigators consider factors such as the extent of involvement and the value of kickbacks received.
Fadullon stressed that the restitution figures may change if further evidence shows additional involvement in other illegal activities, and that the limited immunity granted under the WPP covers only offenses included in the signed agreements. Charges for unrelated cases may still be pursued.
In related developments, the Office of the Ombudsman has filed graft and malversation charges against former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and six ex-DPWH officials over a separate alleged ₱92.8-million ghost flood control project in Bulacan.
The restitution pledge comes as part of broader efforts by prosecutors and lawmakers to untangle one of the biggest corruption scandals involving infrastructure funds in recent years, with multiple investigations and court actions ongoing.
