00:00Following a rigorous and independent evaluation of the investigation forwarded to us by the NBI-DOJ Public Works and Bid
00:09Rigging Task Force,
00:11our office found probable cause to indict the principal respondents for plunder under Republic Act 7080
00:21and violations of Section 3E of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act under Republic Act No. 1319.
00:30Charged alongside Senator Estrada and former Secretary Bonoan are local engineering officials from the National Capital Region,
00:40Assistant District Engineer Denril Cesar S. Cortuna and District Engineers Manny B. Bulusan and Arturo L. Gonzalez Jr.
00:50The cases stem from an intricate mechanism involving illegal budgetary insertions and project allocations within the DPWH infrastructure portfolio for
01:04fiscal year 2025.
01:06Our evaluation shows that substantial public funds were deliberately funneled into designated infrastructure projects in exchange for predetermined commission fees
01:19or kickbacks.
01:20Case records point to an accumulated sum of illicit payouts amounting to an aggregate sum of over P573 million,
01:30which were systematically delivered to the principal-respondent, Senator Jim Goy Estrada.
01:35The office acknowledges that the LBRMO, Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office,
01:43has issued a certificate regarding the absence of documented initiation of budget insertions by the respondent.
01:51However, this certificate does not capture all stages of the budgetary process,
01:57wherein insertions may be made in a layered method.
02:02I would also like to clarify the status of the other individuals originally named in the complaint.
02:09The charges against former DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cathy E. Cabral are formally dismissed by reason of her passing pursuant
02:19to the revised penal code.
02:20Meanwhile, former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto R. Bernardo, former NCR Regional Director, Gerard P. Opulencia,
02:31and former Bulacan 1st District Engineer Henry C. Alcantara, have been formally excluded from the criminal sense of information filed.
02:39This is in view of their official admission into the Department of Justices with this protection program under Republic Act
02:476981.
02:48I want to emphasize that this is very clear.
02:53Our case is built on solid, immovable evidence.
02:56These state witnesses have provided comprehensive, cross-corroborated sworn statements
03:02that map out the execution of this scheme from its inception down to the logistics of the illicit payouts.
03:09As for our next steps,
03:11the criminal sense of information are now being formally docketed before the Sandigan Bayan.
03:17Following standard judicial procedure,
03:19we anticipate the immediate raffling of the case to determine which specific division of the Antigraf Court will handle the
03:26trial.
03:27Once assigned,
03:29the designated division will conduct its own independent judicial evaluation of the records.
03:35If the Honorable Court finds probable cause,
03:38we anticipate the subsequent issuance of warrants of arrest against the principal respondents.
03:43The Office of the Ombudsman has a recommended no bail for the respondents in this case.
03:50Likewise,
03:51the Office will pursue whole departure orders for the respondents
03:55so as to preserve the integrity of the case in court.
04:00The Office of the Ombudsman is determined to pursue all cases still pending.
04:05We have one shot to get these cases right.
04:10The Filipino people need to see justice.
04:13This office is here to make sure we deliver just that.
04:17Paraming salamat.
04:18Magandang hapon po sa lahat.
04:20The Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the
04:25Ombudsman's Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the
04:34Ombudsman's Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the
04:38Ombudsman's Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the
04:41Ombudsman's Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the
04:44Ombudsman's Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the Ombudsman's Office of the O
04:50You
Comments