MANILA — A long-dormant 2023 Facebook post showing former Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. of Cavite political dynasty inspecting flood control projects in Bulacan province alongside a now-disgraced engineer has exploded on social media, drawing fresh scrutiny to Revilla’s alleged role in a sprawling kickback scandal that has ensnared top Philippine lawmakers.
The images, originally shared by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Regional Office III on Aug. 11, 2023, depict Revilla touring ongoing construction sites in the flood-prone towns of Paombong and Hagonoy with then-Bulacan 1st District Engineer Henry C. Alcantara and Assistant District Engineer Brice Ericson D. Hernandez.
In the post, Revilla was quoted emphasizing the urgency of the work: “We need to act now to protect our communities from the devastating effects of flooding. These flood control projects are a critical step in that effort.”
The photos resurfaced this week amid explosive testimony from Alcantara, who was fired earlier this month over anomalies in the projects.
During a Sept. 23 Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, the former engineer submitted a sworn affidavit implicating Revilla in receiving kickbacks totaling up to P500 million pesos from manipulated flood control budgets, allegedly funneled through DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo.
Alcantara claimed Bernardo directed him to allocate P300 million pesos in 2024 General Appropriations Act insertions for three flood control structures in Plaridel, Bulacan — each worth 100 million pesos — specifically “for Sen. Bong Revilla,” who was mounting a Senate comeback bid at the time.
“Henry, that’s for Senator Bong. Maybe you’d like to help him out — increase the proponent’s share, it’s up to you,” Alcantara quoted Bernardo as saying, prompting him to hike the kickback rate from 25% to 30%.
The scandal, which erupted in early September, centers on “ghost” and substandard flood control initiatives in Bulacan, a low-lying province north of Manila battered by annual typhoon-season deluges.
Lawmakers are accused of inserting billions in pork-barrel funds — known as Priority Development Assistance Fund allocations — into the national budget for pet projects, only for contractors to siphon off percentages as bribes.
Alcantara’s affidavit detailed how such schemes spanned 2022-2025, with funds rerouted from legitimate needs to fictitious or poorly executed works, exacerbating flooding that displaces thousands and causes millions in damages yearly.
Revilla was not the only name dropped.
Alcantara alleged Sen. Joel Villanueva received 150 million pesos via a staffer known only as “Peng,” originally intended for a multi-purpose building but diverted to flood projects; Sen. Jinggoy Estrada benefited from 355 million pesos in insertions with a 25% cut; and Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, as House Appropriations Committee chair, championed 426 projects worth P35 billion pesos, securing a 20-25% commission on each.
Former Caloocan Rep. Mitch Cajayon-Uy and Commission on Audit Commissioner Mario G. Lipana were also implicated in related schemes across Bulacan, Tarlac and Pampanga districts.
The probe, launched motu proprio by the Senate on Sept. 1, has already led to contempt citations against Alcantara and Hernandez for initial denials of involvement. DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan fired Alcantara on Sept. 4, alongside Hernandez and another engineer, for failing due diligence on the anomalous contracts, many awarded to the controversial Wawao Builders.
Alcantara, tearfully apologetic during the hearing, admitted to personally delivering cash bundles — including one viral photo of stacks in his office representing Co’s 2022 cut — but insisted he acted under Bernardo’s orders and never met Revilla directly. “I never spoke to Sen. Bong Revilla, never,” he said.
As of Wednesday, Revilla had not issued a public statement on the allegations, though his camp previously denied any wrongdoing in the broader pork-barrel controversies.
Co dismissed the claims as “false and baseless,” vowing a formal response. Villanueva and Estrada’s offices have not commented, while Bernardo, now a central figure, has been summoned for the next hearing.
The scandal echoes the Philippines’ long history of infrastructure graft, including the 2013 Priority Development Assistance Fund scam that led to plunder convictions for Revilla, Estrada and the late Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile.
The Blue Ribbon panel, chaired by Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, plans to recommend charges to the Ombudsman, potentially recovering billions in misappropriated funds amid calls for tighter oversight on congressional insertions.
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