NBI recommends filing of charges vs Estrada, Villanueva, Co, Cajayon, Bernardo, Alcantara

The National Bureau of Investigation has recommended the filing of charges against those involved in the anomalous flood control projects, including incumbent and former lawmakers, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Tuesday. 

"We determined that the NBI would be investigating it and on the outset, they recommended the filing of charges already. So we treated this already as a complaint with the NBI as endorsing agency," Remulla said during the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing. 

He said among the respondents are dismissed Bulacan first district engineer Henry Alcantara, Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada, Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co, former Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, and Caloocan Representative Mitch Cajayon-Uy.

According to Remulla, the complaint was for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corruption Act, indirect bribery, and malversation of public funds.

This came after Alcantara visited the Department of Justice earlier for the evaluation of his testimony.

Alcantara bared during the Blue Ribbon committee hearing that he worked with Bernardo in giving commissions off flood control projects to the camps of Estrada, Villanueva, former senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Co, and Cajayon.

“Sir, we had the NBI come over, the AMLC (Anti-Money Laundering Council), and of course the NPS (National Prosecution Services) is housed in the DOJ compound. So we met in Room 206 over the affidavit of Mr. Alcantara and he was there present to ask questions,” he said.

Denial

During the plenary session at the Senate, Villanueva reiterated that he is prepared to be investigated following Alcantara’s testimony, stressing that he “has nothing to hide.” 

“Mr. President, ano po ito? Masabi lang ang pangalan natin at idadawit sa flood control issue, kahit ang mismong testigo na ang nagsabi na wala akong alam? Mema lang? May masabi,” Villanueva said. 

(Mr. President, what is this? They just mentioned my name and implicated me in the flood control issue, even if the witness himself said that I don't know anything, just so they could say something?) 

“I am ready, Mr. President, and my office is ready, to be investigated that the truth may come out. At katulad ng pagdalo ko kanina sa ICI, nakahanda rin po ako na bigyang linaw ang mga bagay na ito sa anumang forum o lugar at patunayan na mali, malisyoso, at pawang kasinungalingan lamang ang mga pinupukol sa aking pangalan,” he added. 

(I went to the ICI earlier, and so I’m ready to shed light to these issues in any forum or place and prove that the allegations against me are false, malicious, and are all lies.) 

Estrada, meanwhile, said that he is also ready to “dismantle the baseless lies” Alcantara said during the hearing.

“I will not allow discredited narratives to be weaponized for political grandstanding. I will not allow my honor—hard-earned and vindicated by the courts—to be sullied by careless remarks,” Estrada stressed.

Revilla also denied the accusation. 

“I deny. Wala po akong kinalaman diyan (I have nothing to do with it). I have nothing to do with any of that,” the former senator told members of the media.

Freeze order

Remulla said the AMLC was present when Alcantara was in the DOJ. He said the department also gave a digital file to the AMLC.

“They (AMLC) already started acting on this because it is already a filed complaint with the DOJ. Given that, I believe freeze orders have been issued already by the AMLC over the bank accounts of many people,” he said.

AMLC on freezing assets of Jinggoy, Joel, Bernardo, Co:

We’ve received the referral from the DOJ and are actively working on it. The investigation is being fast-tracked, and we’re doing everything we can to move things forward as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

Meanwhile, Remulla said they are looking into the case of Commission on Audit Commissioner Mario Lipana and his wife, who is the president of a construction company that has six projects on flood control.

“We’re still looking at the case of Commissioner Lipana and his spouse who was a contractor since it was touched upon by Engineer Alcantara and we’re working on that now sir,” Remulla said.

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

In a Facebook post on September 18, Cajayon said she does not know Alcantara and even former Bulacan First DEO assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez who first mentioned her name. 

Villanueva and Estrada even expressed willingness to sign waivers to have their bank accounts opened. —AOL/BM, GMA Integrated News