Dismissed Bulacan District Engineer Henry C. Alcantara on Friday turned over P110 million in cash to the government as partial restitution after admitting to authorizing payments for non-existent “ghost” infrastructure projects.
Acting Justice Secretary Fredderick A. Vida said Mr. Alcantara’s turnover, made through his lawyer, is part of the restitution process linked to his application to the Justice Department’s Witness Protection Program (WPP) amid the ongoing flood control investigation.
“This is a demonstration of good faith. As a state witness, he is saying, ‘Mr. DOJ, we want to help the government because we regret our actions. And if we profited from it, we are returning it to the public.’ This is a step toward achieving justice,” Mr. Vida told a press briefing in Filipino.
He added that the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) and Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) will jointly conduct the necessary procedures before the money is officially recognized. “If there is a counterfeit, if data is missing, everything is verified. Once counted, they will certify the amount, and the Bureau of Treasury will issue an official receipt.”
Mr. Alcantara earlier admitted that, while serving as Bulacan’s first district engineer, he signed completion certificates for multiple non-existent flood control and infrastructure projects. The total ill-gotten amount from alleged kickbacks and anomalous projects is estimated at P300 million from Mr. Alcantara’s tenure alone.
The cash turnover coincided with the DOJ’s preliminary investigation into the Bulacan flood control project cases on Friday — Erika Mae P. Sinaking
