Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) district engineer Henry Alcantara testified as state witness that ‘kickbacks’ for infrastructure projects increased from 20 to 25 percent in 2022 when Leyte District I representative Martin Romualdez became House Speaker.
Alcantara made the allegation during the Sandiganbayan Third Division’s bail hearing for the former House leader, who faces a plunder case over his alleged receipt of ₱7.4 billion in infrastructure kickbacks from 2022 to 2025.
Accused with Romualdez in the plunder case is fugitive former Ako Bicol party-list representative Elizaldy ‘Zaldy’ Co who is still in hiding abroad.
According to Alcantara, Co determined the kickback rates, which were described as “commitment fees” for projects to be included in the national budget. The sectoral lawmaker allegedly initially set the rate at 20 percent before it was raised to 25 percent, indicatively on the instigation of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. (PBBM)’s cousin.
The ex-public works district engineer disclosed that contractors provided the money to assure that they would be awarded government projects.
Asked how the return of the advances would be returned, Alcantara explained that the arrangement was a matter of “trust” so no definitive paper trail could be available.
However, he added that the practice existed even before he was assigned to the Bulacan First District Engineering Office.
Corollary to this,
He also claimed that contractors were supposedly informed through a coordinator which company would receive a project, with the bidding process rigged to ensure the promised award.
Describing the arrangement with Co,
Alcantara cited that the payments to the party-list congressman were made in stages with a partial commitment fee was delivered once a project appeared in the National Expenditure Program while the remaining amount was handed over after its inclusion in the enacted General Appropriations Act (GAA).
