Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Asst. District Assistant Engineer Brice Hernandez has alleged that a one-percent kickback was being collected by the DPWH office in Quezon City — the same facility that was recently hit by a fire on Wednesday, October 22.

According to People’s Commission for Infrastructure Chairman Andres Reyes Jr., Hernandez testified that the alleged one-percent share came from questionable public works projects handled by the said DPWH office.

“With due respect to that office, as per testimony of witness Brice Hernandez, there is one percent for the testing office of that DPWH. Their voucher is one percent,” Reyes said during a justice committee hearing

Meanwhile, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, expressed concern that if the claims are true, key documents that could have served as evidence might have already been destroyed in the blaze.

DPWH Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs and Research Melody Villar clarified that the burned building primarily served as a testing site for steel and cement materials and was also used by DPWH Region 4B.

The DPWH earlier maintained that no documents related to ongoing investigations into anomalous projects were affected by the incident.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Ombudsman has directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to determine the cause of the fire and whether foul play was involved.