Sen. JV Ejercito Speaks on Ongoing Flood Control Investigation
JV EJERCITO
– The Senator called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to “be more meticulous” in choosing state witnesses over the flood control mess.
The flood control scam brought thousands of Filipinos to the streets to protest against the supposed multi-billion corruption in the government. The so-called “Trillion Peso March” was held twice last year as the public called for accountability.
Photo Courtesy of PhilStar
Several officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as well as members of the House of Representatives were tagged in the flood control mess. Some senators and former senators were also implicated in the issue.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada is one of the senators tagged in the flood control mess. According to his brother,
Sen. JV Ejercito, he has stopped talking to Sen. Jinggoy Estrada amid the flood control controversy
. Estrada who was the Senate President Pro Tempore then is now part of the minority bloc in the upper chamber.
Controversial contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya are now under detention due to the flood control issues. Former Sen. Bong Revilla and six (6) officials of the DPWH whose name appears below have been arrested as well:
former DPWH Bulacan First District Engineering Office (DEO) assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez
former DPWH Bulacan First DEO Engr. Jaypee Mendoza
former DPWH Bulacan First DEO Engr. Arjay Domasig
former DPWH Bulacan First DEO Engr. Emelita Juat
former DPWH Bulacan First DEO finance section chief Juanito Mendoza, at
DPWH Bulacan First District Engineering Office cashier Christina Pineda
Amid the flood control investigation, the Department of Justice previously announced that former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo and ex-DPWH Bulacan 1st district engineer Henry Alcantara are already state witnesses in the case. It earned different reactions from the people.
“I’m not a lawyer, but from what I know, those who are most guilty or ‘yung talagang kasama rin sa operasyon na ‘to cannot be accepted as a state witness. Kaya nga sabi ko, I’m hoping that they would be more meticulous in their selection of those that will be accepted as state witnesses,”
Ejercito said.
Furthermore, based on the
report
, Sen. JV Ejercito stressed his belief that former Public Works Usec. Roberto Bernardo and several officials of the DPWH are allegedly part of the flood control scam.
“Kasi from what I know, ‘yung mga most guilty, hindi dapat kasama. And sa nakikita ko, sina Usec. Bernardo and the others sa DPWH, eh talagang sila ang kasama rito sa scam na ito on the part of the DPWH,”
the Senator said.
Previously,
Malacañang admitted that Pres. Bongbong Marcos is “sad” over the arrest of former Sen. Bong Revilla
over the flood control issue. The former Senator is facing charges over his alleged involvement in the multi-million “ghost” flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.