Senator Jinggoy Estrada arrived at the Quezon City Office of the City Prosecutor on Tuesday morning, October 7, to file a perjury complaint against former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez.
According to RH Val Gonzales' report, Estrada lodged four counts of perjury against Hernandez, accusing him of repeatedly lying under oath during past legislative hearings. The move follows Hernandez’s earlier claims linking the senator to alleged corruption in flood control projects in Bulacan.
Estrada’s legal counsel, Atty. Bianca Soriano said that the charges stem from four instances of alleged false testimony made by Hernandez before both the House of Representatives and the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
These included Hernandez’s claims that Senator Estrada demanded a 30% kickback from flood control projects, that a certain Beng Ramos was a member of the senator’s staff, that Hernandez used a fake identification card reportedly in casinos such as Okada Manila, and that he gave conflicting testimonies regarding his participation in the House flood control projects.
Estrada emphasized that Hernandez’s inconsistent and fabricated testimonies damaged his reputation and misled both lawmakers and the public.
"He testified in the House that he is not involved in the House flood control projects but in the Senate, isa pala siya sa mastermind,” Estrada said.
"At ‘yun nga ‘yung sinabi niya, ‘yung aking abogada ay ‘yung ini-insinuate niya na may pumuntang babae, si Mina Jose, sa aking tanggapan at nagbibigay daw ng commitment. Pero it turned out hindi naman sa akin pumunta, sa ibang opisina. Talagang makikita mo na habitual liar itong si Brice," he added.
The senator earlier denied all allegations made by Hernandez. He maintained that Hernandez’s accusations were politically motivated and intended to malign his name.
Hernandez earlier accused Estrada of receiving commitments equivalent to 30% of the cost of certain flood control projects in Bulacan, and also implicated Senator Joel Villanueva, alleging that P355 million and P600 million were “dumped” in project kickbacks by the two lawmakers, respectively.
Estrada has requested the court to impose perpetual disqualification on Hernandez from holding any position in the government.
