THEY weren’t just betting chips, they were betting the people’s money. And instead of building flood control projects, they were building their casino aliases – and possibly laundering money in the process.
On this note, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson detailed Tuesday the casino escapades of the so-called BGC Boys of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
In his second privilege speech on the corruption behind anomalous flood control projects, Lacson said the BGC Boys – not Bonifacio Global City, but Bulacan Group of Contractors – used aliases to enter and gamble away millions of pesos in taxpayers’ money.
“On top of their million-peso wristwatches, signature clothes and sneakers and whatever else lavish lifestyles, these five erstwhile DPWH officials of the Bulacan 1st district engineering office gained them a moniker – ‘BGC boys.’ Not Bonifacio Global City boys but rather – the Bulacan Group of Contractors as they have been known to casino employees. Hindi tambay ng High Street sa BGC ang mga ito — Hell Street siguro, puwede pa, Ginoong Pangulo (They don’t hang around at BGC’s High Street, but in Hell Street),” he said.
“They may hide their identities, but having spent practically all my law enforcement years conducting intelligence and investigative work, I know criminals when I see them. No matter how real-looking their IDs are, no matter how long they were able to thrive in the shadows, no one can shield them from the day of reckoning that they deserve. Lalong lalo na kung lantaran at walang pakundangan na ang pagnanakaw at paglustay ng kaban ng bayan (Especially if they flaunt their ill-gotten wealth),” he added.
He pointed out that the five used “valid” identification cards like driver’s licenses from the Land Transportation Office, another matter to be investigated.
Lacson said the five include:
* Sacked DPWH Region 4A OIC assistant regional director and ex-Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara who used the alias Joseph Castro Villegas in casinos;
* Bulacan OIC District Engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez, using the alias Marvin Santos de Guzman;
* Assistant District Engineer Jaypee Mendoza, using the alias Peejay Asuncion;
* DPWH Engineer II Arjay Domasig, introducing himself as a SYMS Trading Corp. contractor using the alias Sandro Bernardo Park;
* Edrick San Diego.
Citing documents his office gathered, Lacson said the five incurred P950 million in gross losses while gambling in 13 casinos in Metro Manila, Cebu and Pampanga.
He said Hernandez had combined gross losses of P435 million while Mendoza incurred P418 million. Alcantara incurred P36.7 million in losses using his alias alone, while Domasig lost P16.9 million, and San Diego lost P42.4 million.
Records from the Newport World Resorts in Pasay City showed they won millions of pesos from Aug. 31, 2023 to April 4, 2024. Alcantara won P4.7 million, Hernandez P189 million, Mendoza P320 million, Domasig P7.37 million, and San Diego P11.798 million.
“Sinuwete nga kayang sabay sabay na nanalo ang mga ito, Mr. President? O baka naman money laundering scheme (Did they coincidentally win that much, or is it a money laundering scheme)?” Lacson said, noting that they would exchange their cash into casino chips when they win, but would cash out if they lose and declare their chips as winnings.
Cash transactions of the BGC Boys in casinos from 2023 to 2025 include:
* Alcantara’s cash to chips at P1.428 billion and chips to cash at P997.765 million;
* Hernandez’s cash to chips at P659.91 million and chips to cash at P1.385 billion;
* De Guzman’s cash to chips from 2023 to 2024 at P26.5 million and chips to cash at P280.093 million.
Lacson said his office submitted their names and aliases to the Anti-Money Laundering Council as casinos are covered by the amended Anti-Money Laundering Act.
Worse, he said photos on social media showed Hernandez gambling in a casino in Metro Manila last Sept. 1, the day the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee held a hearing on anomalous flood control projects.
Lacson said gambling in casinos violates Presidential Decree No. 1869; Republic Act 6713, and various memorandum circulars, prohibiting and penalizing government officials for entering and much more, for playing in casinos.
The use of aliases in casinos violates Article 178 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) or the Use of Fictitious name and concealing true name, while the use of fake driver’s licenses violate Section 31, Article II of R.A. 4136, which expressly outlaws the making, use, or possession of licenses in imitation or similitude of those legally issued by the LTO.
He added the Anti-Money Laundering Act, as amended, is likewise violated as the proceeds of graft and plunder are “transacted and converted by purchasing casino chips and subsequently cashing them out after minimal gaming, thereby disguising the true source of the funds.”
Because of these, he sought the freezing of the bank accounts of these individuals and the subsequent prosecution for violating the law itself.
“Sumatutal, habang lubog pa rin sa tubig-baha ang mga taga-Bulacan dahil sa mga pangungurakot ng mga ito, at kahit buking na mismo ng Pangulo ang kalokohan, sige pa rin ang pagpapasasa ng BGC Boys – sa pagwawaldas ng pera ng taumbayan. Walang kahiya-hiya sa katawan. Wala pong konsensya ang mga ito, Mr. President (In short, while Bulacan folks continue to suffer from floods and after the President blew the lid on corruption, the BGC Boys continued to live off taxpayers’ money. They have no shame nor conscience),” Lacson said.
Aside from punishing those involved, Lacson pushed for legislative reforms to prevent a repeat of their offenses. “Our goal is not only punitive, but also preventive. He pushed for:
* Amendment of R.A. 4566, as amended by P.D. No. 1746 or the Contractors’ License Law, to institutionalize the perpetual absolute ban of blacklisted contractors found to have ghost and substandard projects, and higher penalties for conflicts of interest brought by interlocking positions in related industries or entities;
* Amendment to increase penalties for conflicts of interest, especially those public officials and employees who may also act as contractors under Republic Act No. 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees);
* Transparency initiatives in the budget process and accountability measures in the planning and budgeting of infrastructure projects. Projects without detailed architectural and engineering design (DAED) should not be funded, even as the DPWH should also publish DAED, program of works, and detailed unit price analysis (DUPA).
“Mr. President, these people have reduced the lives of our flood stricken countrymen into living hell. It is time to give them what they rightly deserve,” he said.
