Dismissed Bulacan District Engineer Henry C. Alcantara on Friday turned over P110 million in money to the federal 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 an element of the restitution process linked to his application to the Justice Department’s Witness Protection Program (WPP) amid the continuing flood control investigation.
“That is an illustration of fine faith. As a state witness, he’s saying, ‘Mr. DOJ, we would like to assist the federal government because we regret our actions. And if we profited from it, we’re returning it to the general public.’ It 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 mandatory procedures before the cash is officially recognized. “If there may be a counterfeit, if data is missing, the whole lot is verified. Once counted, they are going to certify the quantity, 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 whole ill-gotten amount from alleged kickbacks and anomalous projects is estimated at P300 million from Mr. Alcantara’s tenure alone.
The money turnover coincided with the DOJ’s preliminary investigation into the Bulacan flood control project cases on Friday — Erika Mae P. Sinaking