ALLOWING TWO SENATORS whose names have been dragged into the anomalous flood control projects in Bulacan, to sit and participate during the congressional inquiry does not necessarily mean they’re off the hook.
According to Senator Panfilo Lacson, in his capacity as chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva have not been cleared on budget insertion issues amid the probe into anomalous flood control projects.
In a reply to a social media post, Lacson clarified that allowing the two senators to face their accusers is not in any way an indication that they’re off the hook.
“By any measure, Senators Villanueva and Estrada have not been cleared, at least on the issue of budget insertions involving infrastructure projects in Bulacan worth P600M and P355M respectively, as alleged by Engr. Brice Hernandez,” Lacson said.
P600M IN 2023
During the Senate hearing, Lacson confirmed that there were indeed two insertions found under the category of Unprogrammed Fund in the 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA) — P600 million supposedly for flood control projects in Bulacan earlier linked to Villanueva.
While Villanueva had denied the allegation, documents provided by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian confirmed an entry amounting to P600.
According to Hernandez, Villanueva’s alleged flood control projects came from unprogrammed funds in the 2023 GAA.
“There are seven to eight items worth P75 million each, exactly P600 million,” Lacson said.
P355M IN 2025
Aside from the whopping P600 million under the 2023 unprogrammed funds, Lacson also claimed to have found P355 million inserted in the regular budget of the 2025 GAA.
Hernandez said that the P355 million in infrastructure projects that was used by the DPWH Bulacan First Engineering Office came from Estrada. The senator however denied Hernandez’s claim.
To prove innocence, both Villanueva and Estrada said they’re willing to sign waivers to have their bank accounts opened to scrutiny amid the investigation.