Manila: Former Department of Public Works and Highways Bulacan First District Assistant Engineer Brice Hernandez on Tuesday admitted before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that he once won up to PHP30 million in a single night of gambling, even as senators confronted him with reports of nearly PHP600 million in suspicious bank transactions.
According to Philippines News Agency, Hernandez said he and his group frequented casinos two to three times a week, usually accompanied by his former superior, dismissed DPWH Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara. He claimed Alcantara would often bankroll their trips, sometimes bringing as much as PHP20 million in cash.
Hernandez told senators that his biggest win in one night amounted to PHP20 million to PHP30 million. However, Senator Raffy Tulfo pressed him on findings by the Anti-Money Laundering Council, which flagged 36 bank accounts and 190 deposits under his name and those of his relatives amounting to PHP597 million. Tulfo warned Hernandez, stating that despite being under contempt, he continued to lie, as evidenced by the AMLC records.
Hernandez denied owning such large sums, suggesting that some transactions might have originated from his sibling’s buy-and-sell ventures involving motorcycles and cars. Additionally, Tulfo accused Hernandez of using a fake driver’s license under the name ‘Marvin de Guzman’ to gain entry into casinos, violating the ban on government employees entering gaming establishments. Hernandez claimed he did not personally acquire the ID and that casino staff facilitated his entry.
Senate Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson ordered the committee to summon Archival Torregoza, a casino contact allegedly involved in issuing false IDs. Lacson stressed that if casinos are inviting government officials and providing false identities, then they are complicit in corruption.
The inquiry is part of the Senate’s ongoing investigation into anomalous flood control projects in Bulacan and suspicions that gambling venues were used to launder illicit funds.
