Lacson: Sacked DPWH Official’s Retrieved Documents, Computer to Undergo Proper Handling to Preserve Chain of Custody

Documents, a computer and other items retrieved by sacked Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineer Brice Hernandez to support the claims he made before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s investigation into anomalous flood control projects will undergo proper procedure to preserve the chain of custody, Senate President Pro Tempore and Blue Ribbon Chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Sunday.

Lacson also said he has set the next hearing of the Blue Ribbon Committee at 9 a.m. of Tuesday, Sept. 22, due to “new developments,” and has prepared invitations to some former DPWH officials.

“He brought back items including documents and a computer, but these items are sealed for now. We will follow a procedure to preserve the chain of custody,” he said in Filipino, in an interview on DZBB radio.

“We need to preserve the chain of custody so that if the evidence is vital to a case, it will not be compromised,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson: Narekober na Dokumento at Computer ng Sinibak na DPWH Exec, Dadaan sa Tamang Proseso Para Mapreserba ang Chain of Custody

Hernandez was allowed to leave the Senate premises Saturday to gather evidence on his allegations of payoffs and kickbacks, including to Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva and former Rep. Mitch Cajayon-Uy. Estrada, Villanueva and Uy have denied the allegations.

Lacson said that if the evidence includes evidence of kickbacks or commissions, he will immediately send them to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) for investigation and prosecution. He reiterated that the Blue Ribbon and ICI are complementary and not competing.

“Even if the Blue Ribbon Committee has not finished its probe or come out with a committee report, I will send those pieces of evidence to the ICI to help in its own investigation,” he said.

Ex-DPWH Officials Must Explain

Lacson said resigned DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan and retired Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo may be among those invited as they have much to explain in the next hearings of the Blue Ribbon Committee.

He said Bernardo was among the persons in a photo taken with the DPWH’s “BGC Boys,” engineers involved in the corruption behind substandard and ghost projects in Bulacan’s first engineering district. The BGC Boys, who included Hernandez, had also gambled away hundreds of millions of pesos in taxpayers’ money in casinos.

Lacson, who noted Bernardo was responsible for the appointment to the Bulacan first DEO of Henry Alcantara and Hernandez, said the photo was taken at a “tambayan” or the house of one Loren Cruz, Alcantara’s bagman.

“What was Bernardo doing in that gathering with the BGC Boys? He has some explaining to do,” Lacson said.

As for Bonoan, Lacson said he is the appointing authority and may need to shed light on how more than P600 million in cash deliveries were made by Syms Construction owner Sally Santos to the first District Engineering Office this year.

Discayas, Witness Protection Program

Meanwhile, Lacson said he and Senate President Vicente Sotto III will meet on Monday with Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla to discuss the bids of personalities in the case who want to be in the Witness Protection Program. These include Hernandez and Cezarah and Pacifico Discaya II.

Lacson said that while Hernandez has already shown signs of remorse and willingness to cooperate, Pacifico Discaya II appeared “opportunistic” and still did not cooperate at last Thursday’s hearing even after being granted legislative immunity, unlike Santos.

He said it is important that the Discayas show good faith, including restitution. When asked if they can do this by repairing substandard and ghost projects, Lacson said it is possible but only if they do it at their own expense.

“They should not obligate the government to assist them because they already cheated the government,” he said.

Lacson also said Santos, who detailed the cash deliveries she made to the BGC Boys, is now in protective custody, with personnel from the Philippine National Police’s Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG) augmenting her security.

*****

Lacson: Narekober na Dokumento at Computer ng Sinibak na DPWH Exec, Dadaan sa Tamang Proseso Para Mapreserba ang Chain of Custody

Ilang dokumento at computer at ibang nakuhang bagay ng sinibak na inhinyero ng Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) na si Brice Hernandez – na maaaring sumuporta sa pahayag niya sa imbestigasyon ng Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hinggil sa mga kuwestiyonableng proyekto sa flood control – ay dadaan sa tamang proseso para mapreserba ang chain of custody, ayon kay Senate President Pro Tempore at Blue Ribbon Chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Linggo.

Ani Lacson, itinakda niya ang susunod na pagdinig ng Blue Ribbon Committee sa Martes, Setyembre 22, alas-9 ng umaga, dahil sa mga “bagong developments,” at nakapaghanda na rin ng mga imbitasyon para sa ilang dating opisyal ng DPWH.

“May inuwi siyang dokumento, computer at lahat. May susundin tayong proseso at yan pinaghahandaan natin ngayon para bukas pwede nang mabuksan lahat yan. Sa ngayon sealed pa yan kasi nang kinuha naka-seal pa yan. Pag unseal natin meron tayong susundin na procedure para ma-preserve ang chain of custody,” ani Lacson sa panayam ng DZBB.

“Kailangang ma-preserve natin ang chain of custody. Para kung sakaling may seryosong ebidensya doon pagdating sa pagdinig o kung aabot sa korte, maliwanag na hindi mababasag ang tinatawag na chain of custody,” dagdag niya.

Pinayagan si Hernandez na umalis ng Senado nitong Sabado para magtipon ng ebidensya kaugnay ng kanyang mga alegasyon ng payola at kickback, kabilang ang umano’y pagbibigay sa mga Senador Jinggoy Estrada at Joel Villanueva at dating Kinatawan Mitch Cajayon-Uy. Mariin namang itinanggi nina Estrada, Villanueva at Uy ang mga paratang.

Diin ni Lacson, kung may ebidensya ng kickback o komisyon, agad niya itong ipapadala sa Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) para sa imbestigasyon at pagsasakdal. Iginiit niya na ang Blue Ribbon at ICI ay magkatuwang at hindi naglalabanan.

“Agad-agad, maski hindi pa tapos ang aming pagdinig at wala pang committee report, ipapadala ko na ang part na yan kung sino ang naituro at may ebidensya, papadala namin sa ICI para mapadali ang ginagawa nilang imbestigasyon,” aniya.

Mga Ex-DPWH Officials Kailangang Magpaliwanag

Sinabi ni Lacson na kabilang sa mga posibleng iimbitahan sina dating DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan at retiradong Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo dahil marami silang dapat ipaliwanag sa susunod na pagdinig ng Blue Ribbon Committee.

Binigyang-diin niya na kasama si Bernardo sa litrato kasama ng tinaguriang “BGC Boys” ng DPWH—mga inhenyero na sangkot sa korapsyon sa mga substandard at ghost projects sa unang engineering district ng Bulacan. Ang BGC Boys, kabilang si Hernandez, ay nagsusugal din umano ng daan-daang milyong piso ng pondo ng bayan sa mga casino.

Ayon kay Lacson, si Bernardo ang nagtalaga kina Henry Alcantara at Hernandez sa Bulacan first DEO, at ang litrato ay kuha sa isang “tambayan” o bahay ni Loren Cruz, umano’y bagman ni Alcantara.

“Anong ginagawa ni Bernardo sa pagtitipon na yan? So meron din siyang ipapaliwanag,” ani Lacson.

Tungkol naman kay Bonoan, sinabi ni Lacson na siya ang appointing authority at dapat magpaliwanag kung paano nagkaroon ng mahigit P600 milyon na cash deliveries mula kay Sally Santos ng Syms Construction papunta sa unang District Engineering Office ngayong taon.

Discayas, Witness Protection Program

Samantala, sinabi ni Lacson na makikipagpulong siya at si Senate President Vicente Sotto III kay Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla sa Lunes para talakayin ang mga bid ng ilang personalidad sa kaso na nais mapasama sa Witness Protection Program. Kabilang dito sina Hernandez at sina Cezarah at Pacifico Discaya II.

Ayon kay Lacson, habang si Hernandez ay nagpapakita na ng pagsisisi at kagustuhang makipagtulungan, si Pacifico Discaya II naman ay tila “oportunista” at hindi pa rin nakikipagtulungan sa nakaraang pagdinig kahit nabigyan na siya ng legislative immunity, taliwas kay Santos.

Mahalaga aniya na magpakita ng good faith ang mga Discaya, kabilang ang pagbabayad-pinsala. Nang tanungin kung maaari itong gawin sa pamamagitan ng pagsasaayos ng mga substandard at ghost projects, sinabi ni Lacson na maaari ngunit dapat mula sa sariling gastos nila.

“Huwag nyo nang obligahin ang gobyerno na tulungan pa kayo sa paggastos, dapat sila na ang mag-ayos,” aniya.

Sinabi rin ni Lacson na si Santos, na nagdetalye ng mga cash deliveries na ginawa niya sa BGC Boys, ay nasa protective custody na ngayon, na may karagdagang seguridad mula sa Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG) ng Philippine National Police.

*****