Hernandez, Mendoza plead not guilty over Bulacan ghost flood control project

Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan First District Engineering Office (DEO) engineers Brice Hernandez, JP Mendoza, as well as cashier Christina Pineda pleaded not guilty Wednesday on the graft charges filed against them in connection with the alleged P92.8-million ghost flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan. 

Hernandez, Mendoza, and Pineda were physically present before the Sandiganbayan when they entered their not guilty plea. 

Ex-DPWH Bulacan 1st District office engineers Brice Hernandez, JP Mendoza, as well as DPWH Bulacan First DEO cashier Christina Pineda plead not guilty in graft raps filed against them in connection w/the alleged P92.8 million ghost flood control project in Bulacan @gmanews pic.twitter.com/07A21Hh6yI

— Llanesca T. Panti (@llanescajourno) January 28, 2026

They are co-accused of former senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr. in the graft and malversation case filed with the anti-graft court.

The malversation case is pending before the Sandiganbayan Third Division. 

Another respondent in the case, Engineer Arjay Domasig, asked the anti-graft court on Wednesday to defer his arraignment on the graft case since he has terminated the services of his previous legal team.

“If possible, your honor, [ma-defer po ang arraignment]. May nakausap na po ako [para sa magiging bago kong abogado],” Domasig told the Sandiganbayan justices.

(If possible, your honor, the arraignment be deferred. I have talked with my new lawyer.)

The anti-graft court granted Domasig’s plea and scheduled his arraignment on February 9, the same day of the arraignment of Revilla and former DPWH Bulacan First District DEO  finance officer Juanito Mendoza who have pending motions questioning the merits of the case filed against them.

Ahead of Wednesday’s proceedings on the subject case, another one of the respondents, former DPWH Bulacan First District DEO Engineer Emelita Juat, pleaded not guilty on the graft charge last January 23.

Ombudsman prosecutors have alleged that despite the absence of any actual construction, the respondents declared the P92.8 million project completed and facilitated the release of the payment of the entire project cost by falsifying accomplishment reports, issuing fraudulent billing documents, and endorsing disbursement vouchers. — AOL/RSJ, GMA Integrated News