Chel Diokno: Close audit needed for projects of contractors turned state witnesses

Projects handled by contractors under the Witness Protection Program (WPP) must undergo a thorough audit to determine how much was taken from public funds, Akbayan Partylist Representative Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno said Sunday.

Diokno made the statement on Super Radyo dzBB, as the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that four people were accepted into the WPP in relation to the alleged anomalous flood control projects.

These are former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, ex-DPWH Bulacan District Engineer Henry Alcantara, DPWH Engr. Gerard Opulencia and contractor Sally Santos, the owner and manager of SYMS Construction Trading.

“Dapat nagkaroon ng malalim na audit sa lahat ng mga hinawakan na mga kontrata at proyekto ng mga pumasok sa witness protection program,” Diokno said Sunday.

(A thorough audit should have been conducted on all contracts and projects handled by those who entered the Witness Protection Program.)

“Dapat nung una pa lamang nakuha na sa kanila ‘yung mga electronic device kasi dun natin makikita yung mga konchaba nila, and yung proyektong minagic nila,” he added.

(Their electronic devices should have been seized in the first place since these would reveal their accomplices and the projects they manipulated.)

Alcantara, Opulencia, and Santos have recently returned millions of pesos of stolen public funds.

However, the congressman said a forfeiture proceeding must be implemented to ensure that those accountable in the anomalous flood control projects return all of the funds they stole.

“Kapag sinabi full cooperation, dapat lahat ng alam nila sa mga flood control projects at iba pag infra project dapat ilalabas nila at ibubulgar nila, itetstigo nila.  They cannot spare anybody. Basta nasa personal knowledge nila kung sinong invloved then kelangan asabihn nila ng buo sa DOJ, later sa korte,” the lawmaker said.

(When full cooperation is required, they must disclose and expose everything they know about flood control projects and other infrastructure projects, and testify about it. They cannot spare anybody. Anyone who was involved must be fully named and disclosed to the DOJ, and later in court.)

READ: What does it take to be a state witness?