Politics · Philippines Bureau
Kickback scheme in infrastructure projects began 2022, witness tells court
A former Public Works engineer testified before the Sandiganbayan that an alleged kickback arrangement in infrastructure projects started in 2022 and grew larger during the tenure of ex-House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The revelation came during a bail hearing for the Leyte lawmaker.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — State witness Henry Alcantara, a former engineer with the Department of Public Works and Highways, disclosed to the Sandiganbayan Third Division that a purported kickback scheme requiring a 20% "commitment" from infrastructure projects began operations in 2022.
Alcantara's testimony during the plunder bail hearing indicated that the percentage demanded from contractors escalated to 25% during the period when Martin Romualdez served as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The alleged scheme appears to have involved systematic extraction of funds from public works contracts, with the percentages varying depending on the administration overseeing the projects at the time.
Romualdez, the former House Speaker and a prominent Leyte politician, faces plunder charges related to the infrastructure kickback allegations. The bail hearing is proceeding before the anti-graft court as prosecutors and defense counsel present evidence regarding the lawmaker's detention.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about the integrity of the Philippines' infrastructure procurement system and the potential involvement of high-ranking government officials in financial irregularities affecting public construction projects.
Photo: Martin Romualdez, then Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, at the House in February 2025. House of Representatives of the Philippines via Wikimedia Commons (public domain).