Metro Manila, Philippines – Suspended Sen. Jinggoy Estrada allegedly asked former Public Works Usec. Roberto Bernardo to help secure ₱1 billion in infrastructure projects under the Senate leadership fund, saying he still had people to help in the elections, the latter told the Sandiganbayan on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
The leadership fund refers to infrastructure project allocations sought by lawmakers for inclusion in the national budget.
Bernardo said Estrada called him around mid-2024 to request projects from then-Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan.
During cross-examination, defense lawyer Laurence Arroyo read from Bernardo’s judicial affidavit, quoting Estrada as saying: “Tulungan mo na lang ako diyan kasi marami pa akong tutulungan sa eleksyon.”
[Translation: Just help me with this because I still have many people to help in the elections.]
Bernardo said he relayed Estrada’s request to Bonoan, who told him to inform the senator that ₱1 billion in project allocations was available.
Bernardo also said Estrada received ₱573 million in commitment fees, or kickbacks, from government infrastructure projects. He linked around ₱360 million to engineer Gerard Opulencia’s projects in Metro Manila and ₱213 million to engineer Henry Alcantara’s projects in Bulacan.
However, Bernardo admitted he never personally saw either engineer submit project lists to Estrada.
He said boxes of money were temporarily stored in an unguarded bulletproof van parked in the basement of Diamond Hotel in Manila before these were delivered to Estrada’s residence in Artiaga, San Juan City.
Bernardo said the deliveries took place in November 2024, December 2024, February 2025, and June 2025, and that he personally accompanied only the final delivery with his driver.
For other deliveries, Bernardo said Opulencia provided updates and reported that the van contained boxes holding ₱20 million each, although Bernardo did not personally inspect the van’s contents or witness most deliveries.
The defense questioned Bernardo about the lack of photographs, videos, CCTV records and text or Viber messages documenting the alleged transactions.
Bernardo said he deliberately avoided keeping records because he knew the transactions were illegal, adding that the van was left unguarded to keep the deliveries discreet.
He also said he gave copies of project lists to Estrada and Bonoan but kept none for himself.
Bernardo said he knew of the scheme while assigned to a DPWH district in Laguna but became personally involved and benefited from transactions only after becoming an undersecretary.
The defense also questioned Bernardo on naming iEstrada as an alleged kickback recipient only in his later affidavits, despite claiming to have facilitated the transactions.
Bernardo said he initially hesitated to implicate Estrada because they were friends.
“Ang hirap po ipahamak ng kaibigan. Hindi ko po kaya—magagawa po ’yon. Kailangan may solid evidence,” Bernardo said.
[Translation: It is difficult to implicate a friend. I could not bring myself to do that. There needs to be solid evidence.]
Estrada, who appeared in court for his bail hearing for the first time, disputed Bernardo’s testimony, calling it inconsistent and denying that the former undersecretary had delivered money to him.
“Malinaw na di siya nagdala ng pera sa akin,” Estrada said in an ambush interview.
[Translation: It is clear he did not bring money to me.]
Asked about Bernardo’s explanation that he had hesitated to implicate a friend, Estrada said, “Ang dami niyang napahamak, eh.”
[Translation: He has caused harm to many people.]
Opulencia is scheduled to testify at Estrada’s bail hearing before the Sandiganbayan on Thursday, Oct. 29.
