Henry Alcantara returned P110M to PH gov’t — DOJ

Dismissed Bulacan first district engineer Henry Alcantara has returned around P110 million cash to the nation’s coffers, Justice Acting Secretary Fredderick Vida said Friday.

“Ang cash turnover, ito po ay parte ng restitution (the cash turnover is part of the restitution),” Vida said.

Representatives of the Bureau of Treasury and the Land Bank of the Philippines were also present to validate the amount.

Vida said this is Alcantara’s first installment for the restitution as he committed around P300 million, which was unlawfully obtained from anomalous flood control projects stated in particular cases. 

“We have a panel evaluating. Medyo mathematics, simple lang po. Kapag sinabi niya, halimbawa, nag-deliver ako ng ganito ng total na P1 billion. At dito po sa deliver ko ng 1 billion pesos, meron po akong kinitang 2%. Kasama kasi sa mga salaysay niya,” Vida said.

(We have a panel evaluating. It's a bit of mathematics, it's simple. When he says, for example, I delivered this much for a total of P1 billion pesos. And here from my delivery of P1 billion, I have earned 2%. Because it's included in his statements.)

“Inuuri namin yung salaysay, kung makatotohanan o hindi, at doon po namin binabase yung restitution,” he added.

(We are analyzing the statement, whether it's true or not, and that's what we base the restitution on.)

No blanket immunity

Restitution is among the conditions for the accused in flood control fund corruption to be considered for the DOJ’s witness protection program (WPP).

Vida noted that Alcantara is only discharged from criminal liabilities on the cases connected with the funds that he has returned.

“Yung kanyang discharge from criminal liability ay patungkol lang dun sa katapat na halaga na yun. Kasi hindi ho nagbibigay ang DOJ ng blanket immunity sa lahat ng iba pa,” he said.

(His discharge from criminal liability is only for that amount. Because the DOJ does not grant blanket immunity to everything else.)

“Kaya ‘pag may nadiskubre po kami na siya ay sangkot pa sa ibang usapin, na kapag ibinanga namin sa aming datos. ‘Uy teka, nag-withhold ka pala sa amin ng information. Kasangkot ka pa rin pala dito.’ Hindi siya abswelto sa pananagutan doon,” he added.

(So if we discover that he is involved in other matters, when we look into our data. “Hey, wait, you withheld information from us. You are still involved in this.” He is not absolved of responsibility for that.)

Aside from Alcantara, former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo is also provisionally admitted to the WPP of the DOJ.

Vida said Bernardo committed returning P7 million for restitution.

“Yung kay Engineer Bernardo. Noong una siya, sa memorandum of agreement, meron siyang mga bank accounts na in-assign niya sa DOJ. Ito ay higit sa P7 million sa bank accounts,” Vida said.

(The one with Engineer Bernardo. At first, in the memorandum of agreement, he had bank accounts that he assigned to the DOJ. This is more than P7 million in bank accounts.)

“These are frozen accounts, under process pa lang. Kasi may proseso rin sa [Anti-Money Laundering Council]. May proseso rin,” he added.

(These are frozen accounts, still under process. Because there is also a process with the Anti-Money Laundering Council. There is also a process.)

However, the DOJ head agreed with the statement of Senator Panfilo Lacson that Bernardo should actually return around P1 billion. 

"We completely agree. Actually that was the indicated amount, P1 billion," said Vida.

The DOJ prefers restitution in cash. — AOL/RSJ, GMA Integrated News