Joel Villanueva shows how to fabricate photos, alter metadata in Senate hearing

Linked to the flood control projects controversy by screenshots of alleged conversations with a DPWH district engineer, Senator Joel Villanueva, on Thursday showed in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing how to fabricate narratives by quickly altering the metadata of photos taken on mobile phones

In fabricating the photos and changing the metadata, Villanueva showed that the name registered in a number was changed to “Congressman” and the date indicated in the photo was altered from Sept. 17, 2025 to Oct. 17, 2023.

“Mr. Chairman, it took me 20 seconds, Mr. Chairman, to do that,” Villanueva said. “If we rely on pictures, anyone can claim anything.”

“Maaaring sabihin yung cellphone na nag-picture at ang metadata ng picture na ito ay para sabihin kinuhanan talaga noong October 2023,” he added.

(We can say that the cellphone used to take the photo, along with the photo's metadata, was made to look like it was taken in October 2023.)  

Villanueva made the demonstration after DPWH Bulacan 1st District Assistant Engineer JP Mendoza claimed that the senator had a conversation with dismissed DPWH district engineer Henry Alcantara.

Mendoza claimed that Villanueva requested a P1.5 billion budget for a multi-purpose building from Alcantara. In response, the engineer said former Secretary Manuel Bonoan could only allot P600 million.

Convert funds?

As proof, Mendoza showed a photo he took from Alcantara’s phone showing the latter’s alleged conversation with Villanueva in 2022.

“Naisipan po ni DE Henry na i-convert sa flood control yung P600 million na which is kinuhanan po ng 25% yung mga contractor para ang maging total is P150 million. Kung sinasabi po kanina na yung project po lumabas po siya ng 2023, wala po siya sa GAA,” Mendoza said.

(Alcantara thought of converting the P600 million into a flood control project, from which 25% was deducted from the contractors, resulting in a total of P150 million. If it was mentioned earlier that the project came out in 2023, then it is not included in the General Appropriations Act.)

“Meron po kaming conversation noong chief of staff ni DE Henry na isinend po sa akin yung list na nakaayos na po," he added.

(We have a conversation with Alcantara’s chief of staff, where he sent the list of flood control projects.)

InfraComm

Screenshots allegedly between then-DPWH Bulacan First District Engineer Henry Alcantara were presented before the House Infrastructure Committee on Sept. 9.

Mendoza told the committee that he took the screenshots of the disappearing messages on Alcantara's phone.

"'Nung October 2023, na kung saan nagre-request po si Senator Joel ng yung mga binasa ni Engineer Brice ng flood control... Sinasabi ni Senator Joel na mababa lang ang kanyang pondo subalit siya ang majority floor leader nu'ng that time at member siya ng Committee on Appointments," Mendoza said.