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...