Chiz Escudero faces P586-M plunder complaint over flood control mess

Former Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero is facing a plunder complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman based on documents obtained exclusively by GMA News.

In Escudero’s counter-affidavit filed last Friday, the Field Investigation Office of the Ombudsman recommended on April 16 the filing of plunder, graft, and indirect bribery charges against the senator.

The Ombudsman FIO alleged that Escudero had “indirectly received kickbacks of P306 million and P280 million” from various flood control projects.

The complaint based its findings on the testimonies of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo.

The alleged kickbacks were collected by Maynard Ngu, who is Escudero’s friend, campaign contributor, and alleged bagman, it said.

“In February 2024, Usec. Bernardo, together with his driver Francisco A. Dela Fuente, allegedly delivered P306 million to Mr. Ngu at his office in Cherry Mobile Building, Manila,” the document read.

There were two other deliveries in the early part of 2025, P160 million and P120 million, both received by Ngu allegedly on Escudero’s behalf.

“The alleged projects from which kickbacks were allegedly sourced are located in Caloocan City, Muntinlupa City, Quezon City, Valenzuela City, Aklan, Albay, Batangas, Bohol, Camarines Sur, Capiz, Cebu, Eastern Samar, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Subic, and Zambales,” the document read.

Escudero denied the allegations, saying he did not authorize Ngu to act on his behalf and the complaint did not show proof that he had received the money.

“I did not authorize Maynard Ngu ... to act on my behalf, and there is no evidence that I ever did…Complainant's basis for my supposed receipt of both the P306 million and P280 million is merely the alleged representations of Mr. Ngu that he supposedly received the said amount on my behalf. The complainant completely failed to present proof of the multiple circumstances that would have proven my supposed receipt of the P 306 million and P 280 million,” Escudero said.

Escudero also said that Bernardo "presented different, evolving, and materially inconsistent allegations."

He noted that Bernardo did not mention the alleged P306 million kickback in the first three affidavits submitted to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

“The most glaring inconsistency is the change of amount involved. There is a complete absence of the alleged P306 million delivery ... It appeared for the first time only in his affidavit dated 13 March 2026—submitted after the Ombudsman’s motu proprio investigation had already commenced,” he said.

Escudero asked the Ombudsman to deny the application to grant immunity to Bernardo and three other individuals, saying the former DPWH official is the “most guilty.”

“Usec. Bernardo appears to be the most guilty among the individuals implicated in the flood control scandal…He was the main point of contact, and he engaged directly with every other individual identified as alleged conspirators in the complaint,” he said.

“Why would I, as 'master plunderer,' only receive P586 million in kickbacks whereas Usec. Bernardo received over P1 billion in kickbacks, as he admitted under oath,” Escudero said.

GMA News is still seeking Bernardo’s side.

The Ombudsman will determine whether to prosecute Escudero before the Sandiganbayan. — VBL, GMA News