Ex-DPWH driver tells Sandiganbayan he delivered suspected cash-filled boxes 10 times

The driver of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) district engineer Henry Alcantara told the Sandiganbayan on Tuesday, June 23, that he delivered sealed boxes, which he suspected contained money, from the Bulacan First District Engineering Office to individuals he identified as drivers of former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo at a hotel in Manila at least 10 times. Witness Edrick Sandiego, however, admitted during cross-examination that he never opened the boxes or saw what was inside them, saying his suspicion was based on conversations he overheard in the office. Asked on how he associated a vehicle with Bernardo, Sandiego said he had seen the official arrive in the same vehicle during meetings and project inaugurations. “‘Pag may meeting po dati sa office namin, ‘pag dumating po si Usec. Bernardo, nakikita ko po siya sa sasakyan na iyon, doon po siya bumababa. ‘Pag po may mga inauguration po (During meetings at our office, whenever Usec. Bernardo arrived, I would see him in that vehicle and he would get out of it there. I also saw him use it during inaugurations),” he said. The witness said he would coordinate with certain “Isko” and “Niño” whenever he delivered boxes to the Diamond Hotel. Both are alleged drivers of Bernardo. “Kapag inutusan po ako, tinatawagan ko po uli si Isko at si Kuya Niño. Tapos magkausap po kami, asa Basement 2 po ako, [sabi] tapat mo sasakyan mo diyan, tapat mo sa sasakyan namin (Whenever I was instructed, I would call Isko and Kuya Niño. We would talk while I was at Basement 2, and they would tell me, ‘Park your vehicle there, beside our vehicle),” he said. Per Sandiego, he picked up the boxes from the Bulacan First District Engineering Office after being contacted by Engineer Carlo Rivera, whom he identified as Alcantara’s chief of staff. “Si Engr. Carlo Rivera tatawagan po niya ako magpapatulong magpabuhat ng boxes po (Engr. Carlo Rivera would call me to help carry the boxes),” he said. Sandiego said the boxes were brought out through the office’s backdoor and loaded into a vehicle with Rivera’s assistance. “Parehas po kami [ni Rivera]. Tumutulong po siya (Both of us carried them. He helped me),” he said. He noted that the boxes were already sealed when he received them and that he and Rivera were usually the only ones handling them. Asked how many times he picked up boxes, Sandiego replied: “Sa pagkakaalala ko po, mga 10 times din po (As far as I can remember, around 10 times as well).” He said some of the deliveries took place in 2024 and 2025, although he acknowledged that he could no longer recall the exact dates. However, Sandiego admitted that he never saw the contents of the boxes. “Hindi ko po alam, pero naisip ko po, may kutob po ako na parang pera po ‘yung laman. Base po sa obserbasyon ko po sa opisina (I do not know, but I had a suspicion that the contents were money based on my observations in the office),” he said. Sandiego said he had overheard conversations involving project lists and amounts running into millions. “Si Boss Henry po minsan kinakausap si Carlo, naririnig ko po tinatanong tungkol sa mga listahan po, projects po. Naririnig ko po about sa mga millions ganon kaya ko po naisip na pera yung nasa box po (Boss Henry would sometimes talk to Carlo. I would hear discussions about lists and projects. I would hear them mention millions, so I thought the boxes contained money),” he added. The malversation of public funds case against former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and six co-accused is currently pending before the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division. Revilla’s co-accused include DPWH Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez; engineers Jaypee Mendoza, R.J. Domasig, and Emelita Juat; and accountants Juanito Mendoza and Christina Mae Pineda. The accused were charged in connection with the alleged P92.8-million flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan. RELATED STORY: DPWH engineer says he collected alleged ‘commitment fees’ from contractors on Alcantara’s orders