DOJ Recovers ₱611M from Alleged Flood Control Anomalies

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has recovered over ₱611 million tied to alleged irregularities in flood control projects, marking a significant development in its ongoing corruption probe.

Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said the funds—amounting to ₱611,381,500—were returned through a combination of restitutions from implicated individuals and the liquidation of previously frozen assets, which have now been deposited into the national treasury.

According to DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez, some of the recovered amount came from assets earlier placed under the department’s custody. These included high-value properties linked to Roberto Bernardo, which were only recently assessed and converted into monetary value.

The largest portions of the recovered funds were attributed to Bernardo with ₱290 million, followed by former DPWH district engineer Henry Alcantara with ₱181.3 million, DPWH-NCR regional director Gerard Opulencia with ₱120 million, and construction firm owner Sally Santos with ₱20 million.

The DOJ is currently handling 24 cases related to the controversial projects. Of these, six cases involving graft, malversation, and tax violations have already been filed in court, while several others have been forwarded to the Office of the Ombudsman or are awaiting resolution. Two plunder cases are also under preliminary investigation.

Officials said efforts are ongoing to pursue accountability and recover more funds linked to the alleged misuse of public money.