Metro Manila, Philippines – Dismissed Bulacan 1st district engineer Henry Alcantara, tagged in anomalous flood control deals, has turned over P110 million to the government on Friday, Nov. 28, as part of efforts to return ill-gotten wealth.
In a press briefing, acting Justice Secretary Fred Vida said the cash was part of the identified P300 million from flood control project kickbacks.
The cash went through bank verification and will be turned over to the Bureau of the Treasury.
Vida said the recovery of ill-gotten wealth was part of the conditions for acceptance into the witness protection program, where Alcantara has been provisionally admitted.
“Ito ay pagpapakita ng kanilang good faith…ito ay isang hakbang para makamit ang katarungan,” he said.
[Translation: This is a show of good faith. This is a step towards justice.]
Vida said Alcantara needed more time to return the rest or P190 million.
He noted that this does not absolve Alcantara from criminal liabilities he may face in the deepening probe on the multibillion-peso flood fund scam.
Alcantara named in a Senate inquiry some lawmakers supposedly involved in budget insertions and payoffs from flood control deals.
The Justice Department also provisionally admitted to the witness protection program former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, the supposed middleman for a number of senators linked to the scam.
Vida echoed the position of Senate blue ribbon chairman Ping Lacson that Bernardo should return at least P1 billion in ill-gotten wealth.
