A former public works official once seen flaunting multimillion-peso luxury cars is now attempting to trade them in for government protection.
Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan engineer Brice Hernandez has formally expressed his intention to enter the Department of Justice’s Witness Protection Program, his lawyer Raymund Fortun confirmed on Wednesday.
According to Fortun, Hernandez recently surrendered his GMC Denali SUV worth around ₱12 million to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI). The controversial engineer also planned to return his Lamborghini Urus, estimated at ₱30 million, but the handover was delayed because the car key could not be located.
Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who serves as a special adviser to the ICI, said the Lamborghini is expected to be turned over within the week. He added that other luxury assets—including a Ferrari that cannot be started and several high-end motorcycles—are also set to be surrendered.
“These vehicles will be placed under ICI custody before being subjected to the proper legal process,” Magalong said.
Bargaining for safety
Hernandez’s move comes amid an intensifying probe into alleged anomalies in flood-control projects worth billions of pesos. By surrendering his fleet of cars and offering testimony, he is seeking to secure state protection and immunity in exchange for inside information on how the schemes were carried out.
Sources confirmed that operatives from the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) continue to search Hernandez’s properties for additional evidence.
On Wednesday, Hernandez arrived at the ICI office clad in a bulletproof vest and under tight security. He was accompanied by two other former DPWH Bulacan officials—Engineer Henry Alcantara and Assistant Engineer Jaypee Mendoza—who are also under scrutiny. Former DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral likewise appeared before the commission on the same day.
Shifting the spotlight
The sudden willingness of Hernandez to cooperate—and the dramatic return of his prized vehicles—highlights a shift in the scandal’s narrative. What began as whispers of ghost projects and missing billions has now morphed into a saga featuring luxury sports cars, armored escorts, and public confessions.
Observers say Hernandez’s bid for witness protection could be a turning point in the government’s pursuit of accountability. Whether his testimony proves crucial or merely self-serving remains to be seen.
For now, the spectacle of Lamborghinis and Ferraris being hauled into government custody underscores a larger question: how many public roads, bridges, and flood-control systems never materialized while officials lived like royalty?