Politics · Philippines Bureau
Ex-DPWH official claims kickbacks plague all nationwide public works projects
A former undersecretary at the Department of Public Works and Highways has alleged that corruption involving kickbacks is systemic across all DPWH projects nationwide. The explosive claim was made during testimony in a high-profile plunder case before the Sandiganbayan.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — A retired career official from the Department of Public Works and Highways alleged Thursday that kickback schemes pervade every DPWH project across the country, marking a damaging assertion about the scope of corruption within the agency.
Roberto Bernardo, who spent four decades at the DPWH as undersecretary, made the sweeping allegation while providing testimony to the Sandiganbayan Third Division during bail proceedings in a plunder case involving former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Bernardo's testimony represents one of the most comprehensive accusations leveled against the massive infrastructure agency, suggesting that graft and corruption are not isolated incidents but rather embedded in the system governing public works projects from Luzon to Mindanao.
The revelation comes as the judiciary continues examining high-level corruption cases involving influential political figures and their alleged schemes to siphon public funds meant for infrastructure development. The testimony could potentially impact the proceedings against Romualdez and prompt broader scrutiny of DPWH operations and oversight mechanisms.