Flood of Cash? Estrada, Villanueva Linked to ₱1B Projects — Proof Still Missing!

MANILA — Explosive revelations rocked the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee as its chair, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, confirmed that suspicious flood control projects in Bulacan worth nearly ₱1 billion made it into the national budget — projects linked to Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva.

The catch? While the projects are real, the kickbacks are still unproven.

Estrada’s ₱355M Jackpot

Lacson revealed that ₱355 million in flood projects tied to Estrada were hidden in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA). They never appeared in the official NEP or House GAB — raising suspicions the money was slipped in during the bicameral conference committee’s ₱142-billion “insertions.”

“This adds credibility to Brice Hernandez’s claim,” Lacson admitted, referring to the whistleblower engineer who first accused Estrada of pocketing 30% kickbacks.

But there’s a hole in the story — no smoking gun yet. That’s why Hernandez has been allowed to leave Senate custody, under heavy guard, to hunt for ledgers, notes, or documents that could nail Estrada.

Villanueva’s ₱600M Surprise

Meanwhile, Hernandez also accused Sen. Joel Villanueva of dipping his hands in the flood pot. At first, the projects weren’t found in the 2023 GAA.

But during the Senate probe, Finance chair Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian flashed slides showing eight projects worth ₱75M each under unprogrammed funds — exactly what Hernandez described. Total: ₱600 million.

Missing Link: The Kickback

Lacson was blunt: “The projects exist, that’s clear. But unless Hernandez proves the alleged 30% payoffs, we don’t have a case yet.”

If Hernandez digs up proof, Lacson said, it’s enough for the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) or the Ombudsman to swoop in.

For now, the senators walk free — but the shadow of a billion-peso flood scam looms large over the halls of Congress.