MANILA — Two Philippine senators, Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, stand accused in a large-scale corruption investigation tied to flood management tasks, a former authorities engineer alleged in a sworn testimony this week.
Brice Ericson Hernandez, a former assistant district engineer, claimed the senators obtained as much as 30% in kickbacks from contracts value greater than $16 million awarded in 2023. Villanueva is linked to tasks totaling roughly P600 million ($10.5 million), whereas Estrada is linked to P355 million ($6.2 million) in flood management contracts.
The allegations stem from money deliveries made by authorities drivers, allegedly coordinated via a former engineer. Each Estrada and Villanueva have strongly denied the claims. Estrada branded the accusations “an enormous lie” and challenged Hernandez to a public lie detector check. Villanueva vowed to clear his title with proof.
This scandal prompted the resignation of the Public Works Secretary and sparked a nationwide probe ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The administration additionally suspended flooding management price range allocations for subsequent 12 months as investigations proceed.
Amid current lethal floods that displaced over 300,000 folks and triggered widespread harm, the controversy has ignited public outrage, protests, and requires transparency. Officers and advocacy teams emphasize the urgency of safeguarding susceptible communities from corrupt practices undermining catastrophe resilience efforts.
Protection Secretary Gilberto Teodoro expressed help for ongoing investigations. The Philippines, which faces roughly 20 typhoons every year, continues to prioritize improved flood administration to guard its residents.
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