In a significant development in the government's anti-corruption drive, dismissed Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan First District Engineer Henry Alcantara has returned P110 million to the national treasury after admitting his involvement in anomalous infrastructure projects.
Massive Fund Recovery
The substantial cash amount was formally received by Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida on Friday, November 28, 2025, marking a crucial step in the ongoing investigation into corruption within government infrastructure projects. The money was turned over to the Department of Justice (DOJ) by Alcantara's legal representative.
During a press conference, Secretary Vida revealed that the returned P110 million constitutes part of the P300 million that Alcantara allegedly obtained unlawfully through fraudulent flood control projects. "This restitution is based on their recounting of transactions and what they accumulated from those dealings. This represents part of the P300 million committed for restitution specifically for the cases he mentioned," Vida explained to journalists.
Evaluation Process and Witness Protection
The Justice Secretary detailed the meticulous evaluation process being conducted by a special panel to determine the exact amount that should be returned to government coffers. "The process is straightforward: when an individual states, 'I delivered this project totaling P1 billion, and from this delivery I earned two percent,' that statement becomes part of their official account. We then carefully assess the veracity of these statements before determining the appropriate restitution amount," Vida elaborated.
While Alcantara has been provisionally admitted into the DOJ's Witness Protection Program, Secretary Vida emphasized that this does not grant him absolute immunity from prosecution. "If we discover his involvement in other matters, and our data cross-referencing reveals he withheld information about additional implicating cases, he is not absolved of responsibility for those offenses. The immunity provided under the witness protection program—specifically the provisional admission granted by DOJ—applies only to those specific matters he has disclosed," Vida clarified.
Wider Corruption Network Exposed
Alcantara's testimony has uncovered an extensive corruption network involving multiple high-profile government officials. According to his detailed account, he personally delivered kickbacks from flood control projects to retired DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada, and Caloocan Second District Representative Mary Mitzi "Mitch" Cajayon-Uy.
The investigation has expanded significantly with Bernardo corroborating Alcantara's statements and implicating additional political figures. Bernardo's testimony has tagged Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero and former Senators Ramon "Bong" Revilla and Nancy Binay in the flood control project anomalies.
Meanwhile, the DOJ's computations indicate that Bernardo should return not less than P1 billion to the government. Although Bernardo has assigned a bank account containing P7 million to the DOJ, this account has been frozen by the Anti-Money Laundering Council, complicating the recovery process.
The returned P110 million will now be taken into custody by the Bureau of Treasury for validation and counting, ensuring proper accounting of the recovered public funds. This case represents one of the most significant corruption busts in recent years, highlighting the government's intensified efforts to combat graft in infrastructure projects.
