HENRY Alcantara, a former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) official and a key figure in a flood control corruption scandal, has been removed as a respondent in three malversation and graft cases involving SYMS Construction Trading.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) admitted Alcantara, previously the district engineer for the DPWH’s Bulacan regional office, into the witness protection program.
Justice Undersecretary Polo Martinez confirmed the exclusion of Alcantara and SYMS Construction Trading owner Sally Santos, who has also been accepted as a state witness, from these specific cases. Trials for these cases have already commenced at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC).
The remaining defendants in the graft and malversation cases include former DPWH engineers Brice Hernandez, Jaypee Mendoza, Arjay Domasig, Niño Lawrence Morales, Emelita Capistrano Juat, and Lemuel Roque, along with SYMS finance section chief Juanito Mendoza, administrative section chief Floralyn Simbulan, and cashier Christina Mae Pineda.
Despite his acquittal from these charges, Alcantara is still implicated in three plunder complaints filed against former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., incumbent Senator Jinggoy Estrada, and former Ako Bicol Representative Zaldy Co. The plunder complaint involving Revilla is currently undergoing preliminary investigation at the DOJ. In relation to this complaint, four former DPWH engineers from the NCR office – Denryl Caesar Cortuna, Manny Bulusan, Ruel Umali, and Arturo Gonzales Jr. – have been added as respondents.
DOJ spokesperson Undersecretary Martinez stated that Revilla has been given until March 30 to submit a counter-affidavit responding to the allegations made by the four new co-respondents. The DOJ panel of prosecutors found the statements from these new respondents important, deciding they should be part of the investigation to see if there is enough evidence to support a conviction.
The Sandiganbayan anti-graft court is currently detaining Revilla in connection with another public works corruption case.
