Who is DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo?

Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo is one of the officials that keeps getting mentioned in the Senate probe on alleged ghost flood control projects.

But who exactly is former DPWH Usec. Bernardo?

Bernardo was a civil engineer hailing from Malolos, Bulacan. He initially served as a Civil Engineering Aide in 1986 and was promoted to Associate Civil Engineer in 1987.

In 1989, he was named Civil Engineer and Engineer II and promoted to Engineer III in 1993.

He was named Assistant District Engineer in 2001, District Engineer 2002, and Assistant Regional Director in 2010.

In 2013, he was named OIC-City Engineer on secondment status under the request of then-Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.

"Undersecretary Roberto R. Bernardo has thirty-years of experience as government Civil Engineer who rose from the ranks in the Department of Public Works and Highways because of his distinctive knowledge and dedication to public service," said his profile on the DPWH website. 

In 2017, Bernardo was named DPWH Undersecretary for Regional Operations in Visayas, NCR and Region IV-B where he was placed in charge of all offices in all Regional Offices in Visayas, the National Capital Region (NCR), and Region IV-B.

The DPWH website said part of his responsibilities include "Overall supervision and control over the operations of all Regional Offices in Visayas, the National Capital Region (NCR), and Region IV-B."

"He shall likewise have overall supervision and control over all infrastructure projects implemented by the Department but funded under the budget of various line agencies, i.e. school buildings, health centers and farm-to-market roads in his are of assignment."

Kickbacks?

Dismissed Bulacan first district engineer Henry Alcantara on Tuesday said that he worked with Bernardo in giving commissions off flood control projects to the the camps of Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Joel Villanueva , former senator Bong Revilla, Jr., Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, and former Caloocan representative Mitch Cajayon.

“Taong 2022 nagsimulang magbaba ng pondo sa aking DO (District Office) si Usec Bernardo, ang kasunduan ay 25% [ng proyekto] para sa proponent,” Alcantara told the Senate blue ribbon committee probe on the anomalous government flood control projects.  

(Usec Bernardo started giving my office these huge amounts of funds in 2022, and the agreement was to give a 25% cut to the proponents of the project.)

“Ang para sa proponent, 25% po at may advance ito na 5% to 15% na kalimitan ang hinihingi ni Usec Bernardo, kalimitang hinihingi matapos ang deliberasyon ng bicam(eral conference committee),” Alcantara said.

(25% for the proponent, but Usec Bernardo usually asked for 5% to 15% as advance payment after the bicam deliberations.)

Villanueva, Estrada, Co, and Cajayon ealier issued their respective denials on their involvement in the questionable flood control projects.

Meanwhile, Bernardo was also mentioned by Curlee Discaya as among the DPWH officials who requested for at least 25% of the kickbacks in a previous senate probe. 

He has also been placed under Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) after his implication in the issue.  This was after his name was mentioned by former Bulacan 1st district assistant engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez during the inquiry of the House Infrastructure Committee on alleged anomalous flood control projects. —VAL, GMA Integrated News