By Benjamin Pulta
MANILA – The Department of Justice on Tuesday said the amount returned to the government in connection with ghost flood control projects has reached over PHP611 million, including PHP290 million from former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo.
According to the Bureau of the Treasury’s (BTr) report furnished to reporters, Bernardo surrendered PHP140 million of the PHP290 million on March 10.
Bernardo, a state witness in the ghost flood control projects probe, returned the remaining amount in five different tranches from Jan. 13 to Feb. 13, the report added.
Henry Alcantara, a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineer, has so far surrendered PHP181.379 million of the PHP300 million he needs to return to the nation’s coffers.
Gerard Opulencia, another former DPWH official, returned PHP120 million, while contractor Sally Santos turned over a total of PHP20 million last December.
“As for the amount, we know that previously, what we reported was at PHP360 million. This amount has since increased to PHP611 million. This covers not just the amount surrendered already through restitution with the department, but also those which were previously assigned by Usec. Bernardo specifically to the department (of Justice),” DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez said in a press briefing.
“When I say assigned, we’re referring to the assets, frozen assets previously, valuable assets which could not be liquidated at least at that time. But then, after valuation, after consideration of all the values of these assets, it was determined to be at PHP611 million,” he added. (PNA)
