Bernardo: I delivered P250M commitment fee to Bong Revilla

State witness and former Public Works and Highways undersecretary Roberto Bernardo on Friday testified that he personally delivered P250 million worth of commitment fee or portion of the payment for government projects to former senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr.

Bernardo made the testimony before the Sandiganbayan during the bail hearing of Revilla and his five co-accused in the malversation case involving the P92.8 million flood control project in Bulacan.

He said he personally delivered P125 million to Revilla's White House residence in 2024 and another P125 million in March 2025. Further, Bernardo said there was a delivery of P250 million commitment fee made by his aide, Vergel Niño Garcia, to Revilla's residence in February 2025 but the latter was not present during that time.

"I have seen the boxes [of commitment fee] delivered," Bernardo said.

"I myself, with my driver, [was there in the delivery], two times. I was there in first and third deliveries," he added. 

Bernardo said that six boxes and a paper bag were delivered to Revilla the first time, 13 boxes the second time, and six boxes the third time. 

“May usapan pong commitment bago mag-submit [ng proposed project] kay DPWH Secretary (Manuel) Bonoan.  Sinabi niya po (Revilla) sa akin na tulungan ko siya, irepresent ko siya kay Secretary Bonoan para magkaroon siya ng allocation. I told him I will talk to Secretary Bonoan. Sinabihan po ako ni Senator Revilla, ikaw na magbigay ng list. Secretary Bonoan was the one who allocated funds for Senator Revilla,” Bernardo said.

(There was a commitment discussion before submitting [the proposed project] to DPWH Secretary (Manuel) Bonoan. He (Revilla) asked me to help him. I would represent him so that he could have an allocation. I told him I will talk to Secretary Bonoan. Senator Revilla told me to provide the list.  Secretary Bonoan was the one who allocated funds for Senator Revilla.)

“Senator Revilla requested for projects,” Bernardo said, adding that Revilla’s allocation for government projects, as decided upon by Bonoan, was worth P1.5 billion.

Quizzed by Sandiganbayan Third Division Associate Justice Ronald Moreno on what made Revilla entitled to a commitment fee when it is legal for a lawmaker to propose a project, Bernardo said, “Nasa proponent na po ‘yung kung manghihingi siya.”

(It is up to the proponent to ask for a commitment fee.)

Moreno then asked, “Senator Revilla asked from you a commitment [per project] of how much?”

Bernardo replied, “25%.” 

State witness and ex-Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo testifies that he personally delivered P250 million commitment fee or portion of payment for govt projects to former Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr. in Dec. 2024 and March 2025 @gmanews pic.twitter.com/m4kDt24Afq

— Llanesca T. Panti (@llanescajourno) April 24, 2026

The former DPWH official also said that the Pandi, Bulacan project was part of the P650 million worth of government projects that former DPWH Bulacan First District Engineering Office (DEO) District Engineer Henry Alcantara listed as part of Revilla’s allocation, which appeared in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA). 

The prosecution panel also presented a banker's box, which Bernardo identified as the one used in the deliveries.

Bernardo said these are boxes that fit into his vehicles in the mentioned deliveries.

Likewise, he said P20 million can fit in each banker's box.

"It (P20 million) could easily fit in the box," Bernardo said.

Bernardo earlier committed to return P1 billion to the government as a precondition for his application to become a state witness.

The former Public Works undersecretary said he has returned almost half of his committed amount to the government so far.

Asked by Moreno again how come he can return that much money when Alcantara earlier told the anti-graft court that Bernardo did not get a commitment fee out of government projects where Revilla served as proponent, Bernardo said “there are other transactions other than this [Pandi, Bulacan] project.” 

Meanwhile, Sandiganbayan Third Division chairperson and Associate Justice Karl Miranda asked Bernardo who was the instigator of the flood control mess. Bernardo replied, “Zaldy Co.”

Co, the former House appropriations panel chairperson, is now facing malversation and two counts of graft charges in connection with the alleged substandard P289 million road dike project in Oriental Mindoro. 

But when Miranda clarified as to who he thinks is the instigator of the Pandi, Bulacan project, Bernardo asnwered, “Siya po ang humingi ng meeting [with me],” referring to Revilla. 

Bernardo then said he regretted what happened and that ghost projects should never happen again. 

“Nagsisisi na po ako na naging bahagi ako ng sistema. Dapat iyong ghost projects, mahinto na,” 

(Ghost projects must be stopped.)

Revilla’s counsel, Reody Balisi, said Bernardo did not offer concrete evidence that links the former legislator to the crime. 

“All I can say that it is easy to allege, that I delivered these amounts, but when it comes to details, the stories keep changing. There is no evidence. No videos or documents. At ano ang sinasabi niyang corroborating evidence niya? Walang iba kundi kung ano yung sinasabi ng kanyang mga alagad, ‘yung kanyang driver, yung kanyang personal aide na nag-testify mismo,” Balisi said. "The principal witness against Senator Revilla…nag-self-destruct."

(His accounts were just corroborated by his driver and his aide. The principal witness against Senator Revilla went into self-destruct mode.) 

“He's (Revilla) is a [low-hanging] fruit, an easy target so to speak, an easy person to point to when the investigation is closing in on you,” he added. — AOL/VBL, GMA News