Former District Engineer Henry Alcantara turns over P110M to government as restitution amid probe

· Former DPWH District Engineer Henry Alcantara recently remitted approximately P110 million to the government as part of the restitution process

· The payment is directly linked to the investigation into fraudulent "ghost" flood control projects in Bulacan

· The restitution is a strong indication of Alcantara's cooperation with authorities amid criminal probes

· The engineer was previously dismissed from the DPWH after being found guilty of grave misconduct and gross neglect

In a significant move linked to the ongoing investigation into massive flood control anomalies, Henry Alcantara, the dismissed District Engineer for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Bulacan, has remitted approximately P110 million in cash to the national government.

The substantial turnover was executed through his legal counsel and is confirmed to be part of the official restitution process.

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Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida, in a statement, verified the transaction, noting that the funds were accepted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) as a voluntary step by the former official implicated in corruption scandals that have rocked the infrastructure sector.

The restitution comes months after Alcantara was relieved from his post and subsequently dismissed by the DPWH.

He had been found guilty of serious administrative charges, including grave misconduct, gross neglect, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, particularly for his role in clearing "ghost" and substandard flood control projects in Bulacan province.

These ghost projects were reportedly worth tens of millions of pesos, including a P55-million river wall in Baliuag that was inspected by the President and found to be nonexistent despite having been fully paid for.

Alcantara's decision to return the funds marks a dramatic shift in the trajectory of the high-profile case.

It validates earlier speculation that the former engineer was willing to cooperate with the government in its anti-corruption drive.

News reports from September had already indicated Alcantara's willingness to return illegally obtained funds, a gesture that often precedes an application for the state witness protection program.

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His earlier testimony before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and the House of Representatives had already broken the silence surrounding the scheme, where he implicated several lawmakers and high-ranking DPWH officials in an alleged system of budget insertions and kickbacks, sometimes amounting to 20 to 30 percent of project costs.

The return of P110 million serves as a powerful, tangible admission of guilt and corruption.

While it doesn't absolve him of the criminal charges he faces, the restitution is a critical component of any potential deal he may strike with the government to mitigate his criminal liability or qualify as a state witness.

This amount will now be returned to the national treasury, providing some measure of recovery for the public funds lost to alleged corruption.

The DOJ and anti-corruption investigators are expected to intensify their probe into the systemic nature of the flood control scam, using Alcantara’s cooperation and the returned funds as evidence of the scope of the anomalies.

The ongoing investigation aims to hold all involved individuals—from contractors to high-level officials and politicians—accountable for the massive defrauding of public infrastructure funds.

In other news, the local police chief in Digos City is now officially considered a Person of Interest (POI) in the hom1cide case of Barangay Captain Oscar Bucol Jr. The station head was promptly removed from his duties to guarantee the fairness of the inquiry, given his known public conflicts with the slain official. As part of the extensive investigation, two dozen officers stationed at the Digos City Police Station have undergone forensic paraffin testing. A significant P2 million bounty, sponsored by Vice President Sara Duterte and Governor Yvonne Cagas, has been announced for details leading to the capture of the perpetrators.

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Still in other news, a correctional facility employee was taken into custody at the New Bilibid Prison for her attempt to smuggle controlled substances into the institution. The illegal drug, believed to be methamphetamine, was cleverly concealed both within the dough and underneath a batch of pandesal bread rolls. The suspect's capture quickly led to the finding of 33 more packets of the same illicit drug in the cell of an inmate she was known to frequently visit. The Bureau of Corrections confirmed the staffer will be prosecuted under the Dangerous Drug5 Act and face immediate proceedings for her separation from service.

Source: KAMI.com.gh