By Lane Afable, News Editor
The Office of the Ombudsman announced that the Department of Justice (DOJ) had recommended the filing of cases, including plunder, graft, and bribery, against Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and other former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials in connection with flood control project anomalies.
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said the recommendation was contained in the resolution of the DOJ’s National Prosecution Service with Docket No. XVI-INV-26A-00003, stemming from a comprehensive preliminary investigation triggered by the criminal complaint lodged by the National Bureau of Investigation-Department of Justice (NBI-DOJ) Public Works and Bid-Rigging Task Force.
“Following months of evaluation, the submission of counteraffidavits, and extensive evidence-gathering, the DOJ Panel concluded that there is an interconnected network of public officers who abused their official designations to manipulate project specifications, clear budgets, and rig public bidding workflows,” Clavano said in a press conference.
“The primary respondents named in the resolution of the DOJ include Senator [Estrada],” he added.
In September 2025, Estrada, through his spokesperson, said he remained confident that no evidence exists linking him to any supposed “kickbacks” in flood control projects.
Exhaustive evidence
According to Clavano, the DOJ’s preliminary investigation was able to accumulate exhaustive evidence, including legislative records, position description forms, and sworn transcripts from the Senate blue ribbon committee hearings held in November last year.
In separate Senate hearings, former DPWH assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez alleged that Estrada and Sen. Joel Villanueva maneuvered to allocate P355 million and P600 million, respectively, to Bulacan’s first district in exchange for a 30-percent cut in the funding.
Clavano said that, aside from Estrada, the resolution also named the following as primary respondents: Former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, the late former DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral; former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo; former DPWH Metro Manila regional director Gerard Opulencia; DPWH district engineer Henry Alcantara; Bong Dinglasan and Denryl Caesar Cortuna, DPWH assistant district engineers in North Manila; DPWH district engineer Manny Bulusan; a certain Arturo Gonzales Jr.; and several unidentified people.
Aside from plunder under Republic Act No. 7080, the respondents were recommended to be charged for violation of Section 3(b) and Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Direct Bribery and Receiving Gifts by Public Officers under Article 210 of the Revised Penal Code, and Corruption of Public Officials under Article 212 of the Revised Penal Code.
Dropped charges
However, the DOJ recommended the formal dropping of charges against Cabral, after her death last year.
Criminal charges were likewise recommended dropped against Bernardo, Opulencia, and Alcantara, who are all under the DOJ’s Witness Protection Program.
Clavano said the Office of the Ombudsman will conduct its own independent review of the merits of the DOJ’s findings, leading to the possible filing of cases before the Sandiganbayan if warranted.
The second interim report of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure released in October 2025 also asked the Office of the Ombudsman to consider filing plunder charges against Estrada and Villanueva; Bernardo; former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co; former Caloocan Rep. Mary Mitzi Cajayon-Uy; and Commission on Audit Commissioner Mario Lipana, for their alleged “participat[ion] in a scheme which they took profit of [involving] massively large amounts of the people’s money.”
