P299M in cash delivered in boxes at Brice Hernandez' DPWH office —witness

An employee of contractor SYMS Construction on Monday testified that she delivered P299 million in cash in grocery boxes to the office of then-Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez.

The amount was for the supposed construction of five government contracts won by SYMS on a license it lent to Hernandez. 

Monica Ocampo-Santos, SYMS liaison officer, told the Sandiganbayan that the P299 million included the P74 million that Hernandez got out of the P92.8-million alleged ghost project in Pandi, Bulacan, which is the subject of the malversation case against former senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr., Hernandez, and five other DPWH officials.

Asked how the money was delivered, Ocampo-Santos said: "Nasa kahon po ng grocery...sa sahig po [nilapag]...sa gilid ng lamesa ni Engineer Brice. Binubuksan po, naka-bundle na tig-1,000." 

(The cash were placed in grocery boxes. They were placed on the floor, next to Brice Hernandez's table. The cash was P1,000 bills in bundles.)

Ocampo-Santos, who is the niece-in-law of state witness and SYMS Construction owner Sally Santos, said the money was packed in used boxes of soy sauce, junk foods, noodles, and coffee.

"May amount sa taas [ng kahon] magkano [ang] laman ng isang box, bibilangin per bundle [ni Brice Hernandez]. Kasama po ako sa actual delivery,” Ocampo-Santos said, adding that the boxes of cash were delivered by a car by her aunt and another SYMS liaison officer.

(The amount was indicated at the top of each box, to be counted per bundle. I was there for the actual delivery.)

Asked by Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Karl Miranda if she was physically present and saw the huge amounts of cash, Ocampo-Santos replied, “Yes, your Honor.”

However, she could not identify the car model used to deliver the P299 million to Hernandez's office in the DPWH.

Asked by the Sandiganbayan justices what the huge amount of delivery was for, she replied: "Para po sa construction ng projects na [nakuha dahil sa] hiniram [na lisensiya] ni Engineer Brice for SYMS."

(For the construction of projects procured for SYMS with Engineer Brice's license.) 

Ocampo-Santos also showed screenshots of her May 19, 2025 conversation with Hernandez confirming that the delivery of P299 million to him would commence on May 20 in the afternoon.

The conversation featured Ocampo-Santos telling Hernandez, "Ninong, andiyan po ba kayo ng hapon [bukas] para sa collection ng limang partial [payment]."

(Will you be there for the collection of five partial [payments]?)

Hernandez replied, "Yes, inaanak."

Ocampo-Santos then said, "Okay po, Ninong. Sasabihin ko po kay Tita Sally."

(Okay. I will tell Tita Sally.)

Ocampo-Santos also said that the technical documents for the government projects bagged by SYMS are provided by SYMS, while the financial documents are prepared by the DPWH.

“The first part on technical documents are provided by SYMS while financial documents come from DPWH. They [at the DPWH] prepare it for SYMS to sign on,” the 26-year-old Ocampo-Santos said.

Hernandez's lawyer Jo Ellaine Collado asked Ocampo-Santos if she was instructed to nail Hernandez alone.

Government prosecutor Iris Pozon objected to the question, prompting Collado to withdraw the motion. 

During the same hearing, Ocampo-Santos said Hernandez, state witness and former Bulacan First District Engineering Office District Engineer Henry Alcantara, as well DPWH Bulacan First DEO officials Juanito Mendoza and JP Mendoza, all stood as principal sponsors during her wedding with Santos' nephew.

The enlistment of DPWH officials as their wedding godfather, Ocampo-Santos said, was made on the request of her Tita Sally.

The location of the subject P92.8-million Pandi flood control project in the malversation case against Revilla had no visible structure and had barely visible and rusting sheet piles. —AOL/BM, GMA News