Dismissed Bulacan district engineer Henry C. Alcantara on Friday turned over P110 million in cash to the government as partial compensation after admitting to authorizing payments for non-existent “ghost” infrastructure projects.
Acting Justice Secretary Frederick A. Vida said Mr. Alcantara's turnover, made through his lawyer, is part of the reinstatement process linked to his application to the Justice Department's Witness Protection Program (WPP) amid the ongoing flood control investigation.
“This is a show of good faith. As a government witness, he is saying, 'Mr. DOJ, we want to help the government because we regret our actions. And if we benefited from it, we are returning it to the public.' This is a step towards achieving justice,” Mr. Vida said at a press conference in Filipino.
He said the Bureau of the Treasury (BTR) and the Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) will jointly conduct the necessary procedures before the money gets official recognition. “If there is any fake, if there is missing data, everything is verified. Once the count is done, they will certify the amount, and the Treasury Bureau will issue an official receipt.”
Mr. Alcantara had earlier admitted that, while serving as the first district engineer of Bulacan, he had signed completion certificates for several non-existent flood control and infrastructure projects. The total illegal money earned from alleged bribes and unusual projects during Mr. Alcantara's tenure alone is estimated to be P300 million.
The cash turnover on Friday coincides with the DOJ's preliminary investigation into the Bulacan flood control project cases – Erica Mae P. Sinaking
