‘Jinggoy received P213 million in commitment fees’

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Jinggoy Estrada received at least P213 million in “commitment fees” from the Department of Public Works and Highways as a proponent of an estimated P855 million worth of projects in two DPWH district offices in Bulacan, a state witness told the Sandiganbayan yesterday. 

Henry Alcantara, a former district engineer of the DPWH’s First District Engineering Office (DEO) in Bulacan, testified at the hearing on Estrada’s petition for bail in relation to the P573-million plunder case filed against him.

Alcantara claimed that Estrada received a 25-percent commitment fee, amounting to P88 million, from the P355 million worth of projects in the DPWH 1st DEO. 

Estrada received another P125 million as 25-percent commitment fee from P500 million worth of projects for Bulacan 3rd DEO, Alcantara alleged.

He said he instructed his staff to deliver the money, amounting to P213 million, to former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, who is also a state witness, at the Diamond Hotel in Manila during the second quarter of 2025.

Alcantara said his information was based on what Bernardo had told him.

“It was Usec. Bernardo who told me to collect the commitment fee and that this should be delivered together with the money from the Bulacan Third DEO. I gave all the money I collected to Usec. Bernardo,” Alcantara said in Filipino.

He, however, admitted he never personally dealt with Estrada and only talked to Bernardo about submitting project lists and collecting commitment fees.

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