Metro Manila, Philippines – Three sitting or former senators will be the subject of the new case recommendation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure next week, the investigating body’s chairperson said on Thursday, Nov. 13.
In a press briefing, ICI Chairman Andres Reyes said new lawmakers will be in the recommended charge sheet over questionable flood control deals, but he stopped short of identifying them.
He also refused to disclose if there are more House members in the new case referrals.
The commission earlier asked the ombudsman to file charges against senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva over alleged budget insertions and kickbacks from flood control projects.
New cases for Bonoan, DPWH officials
Meanwhile, the commission will recommend the filing of new charges against former Public Works Secretary Manuell Bonoan and undersecretaries Roberto Bernardo and Maria Catalina Cabral over a P74-million non-existent project in Hagonoy, Bulacan.
This will be the third recommendation of the ICI against the former high-ranking DPWH officials after flagging their supposed gross negligence in Bulacan ghost projects or those that were paid and deemed completed, but unfinished.
Early this week, the Department of Justice confirmed that Bonoan had left the country for the US, with a travel clearance until December.
The new case referral stemmed from the Commission on Audit (COA) report that no riverbank protection structure was built in Barangay Carillo in Hagonoy, Bulacan.
“The results of the COA technical inspection, together with the available records, clearly establish that the project was never implemented, despite the unwarranted release and full payment of the contract cost by the DPWH to Darcy & Anna Builders & Trading,” the commission said.
The ICI case recommendation includes former DPWH Bulacan first district engineer Henry Alcantara, former assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez, among others, for alleged violations of the anti-graft and corrupt practices act and government procurement law, falsification, and malversation of public funds.
It also referred charges against Darcy Kimel D. Respecio, the listed owner of project contractor Darcy & Anna Builders & Trading.
This was the fifth case referral of the ICI since it was formed in September.
