Lacson: DPWH's 'BGC Boys' cashed in billions in casinos

Erstwhile engineers in Bulacan of the Department of Public Works and Highways have cashed in billions of pesos from casinos in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Pampanga from 2023 to 2025 in what could be a money laundering scheme, according to Sen. Panfilo Lacson.

In a privilege speech on Tuesday, Lacson said the five former officers of the Bulacan First Engineering Office were known in the casino circles as the BGC Boys.

"Not Bonifacio Global City boys, Mr. President, but rather, the Bulacan Group of Contractors as they have been known to casino employees," Lacson said.

Lacson identified the engineers as former Bulacan first district engineer Henry Alcantara, former district assistant engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez, construction division chief Jaypee Mendoza, DPWH engineer II Arjay Domasig, and contractor Edrick San Diego.

Citing casino records, Lacson presented Alcantara, Hernandez, and Mendoza's cash-to-chips and chips-to-cash transactions from 2023 to 2025 under their assumed identities or aliases.

Henry Alcantara, alias Joseph Castro Villegas:

• Cash to chips: P1,428,170,000
• Chips to cash:  P997,765,000

Brice Hernandez, alias Marvin Santos De Guzman

• Cash to chips - 659,910,000
• Chips to cash - 1,385,360,250

Jaypee De Guzman alias Peejay Castro Asuncion (from 2023 to 2024)

• Cash to chips: 26,500,000
• Chips to cash: 280,093,500

"In this regard, my office has submitted their names and aliases to the Anti-Money Laundering Council since casinos are covered under the amended Anti-Money Laundering Act," Lacson said.

Citing information acquired by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) from 13 casinos in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Pampanga, Lacson said the engineers lost P950 million from casinos.

Lacson alleged that the engineers engaged in a money laundering scheme when they “miraculously” won millions of pesos at a casino in Pasay City from Aug. 31, 2023 to April 4, 2024: 

• Henry Alcantara: P4,707,106
• Brice Ericson Hernandez: P189,068,665
• Jaypee Mendoza: P320,106,072
• Arjay Domasig:  P7,379,485
• Edrick San Diego: P11,798,050

Lacson said their wins are alleged to be fake, and his team is still validating reports.

“Sinuwete nga kayang sabay-sabay na nanalo ang mga ito, Mr. President? O baka naman money laundering scheme?” Lacson said.

(Was it just sheer luck that they all won at the same time, Mr. President? Or could it be a money laundering scheme?)

The lawmaker said his team is still validating the alleged “fake” declarations of their questionable winnings.

“How so? Magpapalit ng cash into casino chips, pero pag natalo ng kaunti, pupunta sa cashier para mag cash out at ideklarang panalo ang pinagpalitan nilang chips. Smart? Your guess, at this point, is as good as mine,” the senator said.

(How is their win fake? They would turn cash into casino chips, but when they lose, they will go to the cashier and declare the chips as their winnings. Smart? Your guess, at this point, is as good as mine.)

Document forgery 

The senator also flagged several flood control projects that have forged documents. 

Among which is the SYMS Construction, where its P92.58-million flood control project Package B along Maycapiz-Taliptip River in Barangay Perez in Bulakan, Bulacan was “implemented at such an extraordinary speed -- and paid, in extraordinary haste.”

Lacson said the project was awarded to SYMS on Dec. 17, 2024 and got a notice to proceed the following day.

After two days on December 20, SYMS asked for payment and reported a 46.05% completion rate worth P42.63 million for their first progress billing.

“May pambihirang talento at unusual speed pala ang mga taga SYMS Construction. O baka may magic -- Christmas magic dahil magpapasko na,” Lacson said. 

(SYMS Construction has an unusual speed or perhaps possesses Christmas magic since we are approaching the yuletide season.)

On December 27, SYMS received P35.97 million worth of payment, and on March 14, 2025, the construction firm once again demanded payment for an 89.10% completion rate, which was granted in five days. 

SYMS then received P14 million for its third and final payment, which ballooned the cost of the project to P96.499 million, P3.9 million more the original contract price.

“Certified, checked, and reviewed by the BGC boys na sina project engineer Arjay Domasig at Jaypee Mendoza ang monthly certificate of payment para sa statement of work ng SYMS. Kasama ang dagdag na P3.9 million sa revised contract,” Lacson said.

(BGC Boys’ Domasig and Mendoza certified, checked, and reviewed the monthly certificate of payment for SYMS’s statement of work, including the additional P3.9 million from the revised contract.)

He added that the first payment that was immediately released was approved by Hernandez and Alcantara.

“Hinog na hinog sa criminal case na malversation through falsification of public documents,” Lacson said. 

(It’s clear that it is a case of malversation through falsification of public documents.)

Upon his team's investigation, Lacson pointed out that the flood control project was a ghost project. 

Filing of charges, amendments 

The senator urged the DPWH to file criminal charges against those invloved in the anomalous flood control projects.

This includes Malversation through Falsification of Public Documents charges and charges for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Anti-Plunder Law. 

He also said the BGC Boys should face charges for using a fictitious name and concealing their true name and violating the Land Transportation and Traffic Code for using a fake driver’s license, and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials with the Batangas Provincial Prosecutor’s Office, among others, for entering a casino.

Meanwhile, Lacson said, DPWH officials should face administrative cases such as grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, among others.

“Our goal is not only punitive, but also preventive,” Lacson said. 

Among the amendments the senator proposed are the absolute ban of blacklisted contractors, increased penalties for conflicts, and transparency initiatives in the budget process. — RF/NB, GMA Integrated News