(UPDATE) JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday confirmed that the government was moving to file charges against Sens. Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, former senator Bong Revilla, and Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, who were implicated in a widening corruption scandal involving anomalous flood control projects.
The former and current lawmakers were named in the sworn statement submitted by former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) district engineer Henry Alcantara as having benefited from kickbacks from multibillion-peso flood control projects.
Testifying before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, Remulla said he had convened representatives of the National Bureau of Investigation, the Anti-Money Laundering Council, and the National Prosecution Service to assess Alcantara’s affidavit, which alleged large-scale kickbacks and commissions from flood control projects in Bulacan.
“We determined that the NBI would be investigating it and on the outset they recommended the filing of charges already,” Remulla told senators, adding that Alcantara’s complaint is now treated as being endorsed by the bureau.
The DOJ chief said the AMLC has begun a parallel action, including issuing freeze orders against bank accounts of personalities named in the affidavit. He confirmed that investigators are also scrutinizing possible conflicts of interest involving Commission on Audit (COA) Commissioner Mario Lipana and his wife, a contractor allegedly tied to DPWH flood control projects.
Lawmakers and officials
Remulla identified those recommended for prosecution as Villanueva and Estrada, Co, former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, former Caloocan representative Mitzi Cajayon-Uy, Alcantara himself, and other individuals mentioned in his affidavit.
In his sworn statement, Alcantara said billions of pesos were siphoned off from infrastructure funds between 2019 and 2025, with around 25 percent of project allocations systematically funneled back to lawmakers and officials as “commissions.” He alleged, for instance, that he personally delivered at least P8.75 billion to Co from 2022 to 2025.
The charges under review cover violations of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Article 211 of the Revised Penal Code on indirect bribery, and Article 217 on malversation of public funds.
AMLC freezes assets
The AMLC has widened its scrutiny of financial flows tied to the alleged scheme. In recent weeks, it has secured freeze orders on 592 bank accounts and dozens of insurance policies connected to DPWH personnel, contractors, and lawmakers. Earlier, the Court of Appeals also approved the freezing of 135 bank accounts and 27 insurance policies of 26 individuals allegedly linked to ghost flood control projects.
Some of these accounts were traced to contractors flagged as “ghost companies,” including one that reportedly moved P13 billion through LandBank in questionable transactions.
Remulla clarified that the case remains under review as the NBI and AMLC continue parallel investigations. Alcantara himself is being assessed for possible inclusion in the Witness Protection Program (WPP) after testifying that kickbacks had become “the norm” in DPWH projects in Bulacan.
“This is a living case, so to speak. The investigations are moving on several fronts,” Remulla said, noting that the freeze orders were crucial to prevent the disposal of suspected illicit funds.
Denials
Lawmakers named in the affidavit have denied wrongdoing. Villanueva declared his readiness to face any investigation.
“Let me state this clearly at the very start: I am fully prepared to be investigated on these allegations. I have nothing to hide and I welcome any inquiry that will bring out the truth,” Villanueva said.
The senator noted that Alcantara himself admitted during the hearing that he never requested flood control projects on Villanueva’s behalf.
“Alcantara said, ‘I did not request any flood control project.’ He also said, ‘I have no knowledge of these projects, nor was I ever informed about them,’” Villanueva told colleagues. “The request I made was for multipurpose buildings for my constituents in Bulacan, not flood control projects.”
He added that Alcantara acknowledged extending some assistance, but not to him directly, stressing that his name was merely “mentioned” without evidence of involvement.
“But there it is — our name was merely mentioned. Operative word, mentioned,” Villanueva said, questioning why his name was being linked to the controversy despite Alcantara’s clarifications.
Villanueva maintained that the allegations were “false, malicious, and pure lies.”
Estrada and Co have separately denied receiving commissions, while other personalities named in the affidavit have yet to issue detailed statements. Despite these denials, investigators have pointed to financial data now in the custody of the AMLC that could serve as evidence in the corruption probe.
Ethics complaint
Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco has filed an ethics complaint against Co, accusing him of violating the Constitution, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, and the rules of the House of Representatives.
In a letter to House Ethics Committee chairman and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Jonathan Clement Abalos and received Monday by the secretariat, Tiangco alleged Co violated Article XI, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution, or the accountability of public officers, by “masterminding, tolerating, and deliberately allowing last minute insertions and realignments” in the 2025 budget.
“Consequently, the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) has been considered as the most scandalous, corrupt, and highly irregular budget. Billions of pesos were inserted by the small committee up to the bicameral committee,” Tiangco said.
He also said the insertions had bypassed priority projects and cast serious doubts on the legitimacy of purpose.
Co, according to Tiangco, was “duty bound” to ensure faithful compliance with constitutional and legal parameters in the budgetary process, and that his primary responsibility was to protect people’s money and ensure that public funds were allocated for legitimate purposes.
“With all the lingering issues on the 2025 budget insertions, Representative Co undoubtedly betrayed public’s trust and ruined the reputation of the institution he ought to protect,” Tiangco said.
Under violations of Republic Act 6713, Tiangco said that Co has been absent in the House of Representatives due to medical reasons but no copy of his medical certificates were submitted to House and the public, thereby making his absence unsubstantiated.
Meanwhile, under the violation of Section 141, Rule XX of the House Rules, Tiangco said that Co-owned Sunwest Inc. and its joint ventures secured a total of P86.1 billion worth of government infrastructure contracts, half of which were awarded in Bicol were Co’s family maintained deep political and business roots.
Tiangco went to the office of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure to tell everything he knows regarding the insertions made by Co in the 2025 budget.
Co has denied the allegations raised against him.
“The allegations made against me during today’s Senate hearing are false and baseless,” Co said in a statement on Tuesday.
He said that he reserved the right “to respond to these allegations at the proper time before the proper forum.”
Co has been in the United States since early September, citing health reasons.
