Bernardo maintains he’s not the mastermind in flood control mess

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April 26, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Roberto Bernardo insisted that he should not be labeled as the mastermind behind the flood control scandal, wherein up to 30 percent of funds for infrastructure projects became kickbacks for lawmakers, also called “proponents,” despite revealing he sent millions to detained former senator Ramon Revilla Jr.

During the hearing on petitions for bail by Revilla and others at the Sandiganbayan last April 24, Bernardo disclosed that P500 million worth of “commitments” or kickbacks from infrastructure projects were delivered to the “White House Compound” also known as Revilla’s residence in Cavite.

The cash was delivered in several banker’s boxes in three instances: one in late 2024 with P125 million contained in “six boxes and a paper bag;” the second set of deliveries from 2024 and 2025 were “13 boxes” stuffed with P250 million and the last delivery in March 2025 – shortly before Revilla’s term as senator ended – with P125 million packed in “six boxes.”

Bernando added that P20 million in P1,000 bills could fit in each box.

His Toyota 4Runner vehicle was used to bring the “commitments” in the first two deliveries, and his Nissan Patrol car at the last delivery.

Bernardo was present in the two P125-million deliveries along with his driver, Isko dela Fuente, while only his driver Vergel Niño Garcia was present in the P250-million delivery.

While he did not confirm that Revilla was present at the deliveries, Bernardo claimed the latter did not complain that the “commitments” – which he would label as “kilos of rice” in informing Revilla – did not make its way to the residence.

Bernardo’s statements during the hearing were taken from the affidavits he also filed before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee earlier this year that tackled the flood control scandal, and were supported by Garcia, who also appeared before the Sandiganbayan.

He further claimed Revilla was supposedly entitled to P1.5 billion worth of allocations for DPWH projects in the 2025 budget, which served as the “baseline” for the 25 percent kickbacks.

The P1.5-billion allocation for Revilla included the P92.8-million “ghost” or non-existent flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan, where he and several others, including former DPWH Bulacan 1st District assistant engineer Brice Hernandez, are charged with malversation before the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division.

Its chairman, Associate Justice Karl Miranda, grilled Bernardo on who was the mastermind of the crime that led to this particular case, based on the earlier cross-examination by the defense camp.

“No. This system that’s happening, it’s not solely me… my participation in this is just part of the whole system at DPWH,” Bernardo said in Filipino.

When Miranda pressed Bernardo, the latter pointed to Zaldy Co – former chairman of the House of Representatives’ appropriations committee who fled the country – as the mastermind of the flood control scandal.

When pressed further, he mentioned Revilla since he claimed the detained former senator was the one who “asked for a meeting.”

With Bernardo’s admission to the witness protection program, the 62-year-old promised to return to the government around P1 billion, which he said he earned from several “transactions” in his 40-year stint at the DPWH.

Bernardo noted he has returned around P500 million so far.

The Sandiganbayan Third Division has set the next hearing, which would commence the formal presentation of evidence by the prosecution, starting May 5, and will be held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.