Former DPWH Official Turns Over P110 Million in Ill-Gotten Wealth
In a significant development in a major corruption scandal, former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan First District Engineer Henry Alcantara has returned P110 million to the national treasury. The money was handed over to Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida through Alcantara's lawyer on Friday, November 28, 2025.
This partial restitution is connected to Alcantara's admission of involvement in corrupt activities related to government infrastructure projects. Secretary Vida confirmed the receipt of the funds during a press conference held on the same day.
Admissions and the Road to P300 Million
During the press briefing, Justice Secretary Vida revealed that the returned P110 million is part of a larger sum of P300 million that Alcantara has confessed to illegally acquiring. The illicit funds were allegedly amassed through anomalous flood control projects.
Vida stated that based on Alcantara's own sworn statements, the government is convinced he must return the full P300 million to the state coffers. He clarified, however, that this repayment does not grant Alcantara absolute immunity from prosecution, despite his provisional acceptance into the DOJ's Witness Protection Program.
The returned P110 million will now be placed under the custody of the Bureau of the Treasury for official validation and counting.
A Web of Corruption: High-Profile Names Implicated
This case came to light after Alcantara detailed a sophisticated money-making scheme that diverted public funds intended for flood control initiatives. He admitted to orchestrating a system of kickbacks from these projects.
His testimony has implicated several high-profile individuals, including:
- Retired DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo
- Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada
- Caloocan Second District Representative Mary Mitzi "Mitch" Cajayon-Uy
In a stunning revelation, Secretary Vida added that their investigation's calculations indicate that retired Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo himself should return no less than P1 billion to the government, suggesting the massive scale of the alleged corruption network.
