Estrada to sue accuser Hernandez for perjury over ‘made-up’ allegations
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada will charge former Bulacan assistant district engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez with perjury for linking him to anomalous government infrastructure projects in congressional hearings.
Estrada’s office made the announcement in an advisory on Monday, saying the senator will file the charges against Hernandez before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
At a hearing in the House of Representatives on Sept. 8, Hernandez said Estrada inserted P355 million in the 2025 national budget for various flood control projects in Bulacan.
He added that Estrada was given 30 percent of the amount as “standard operating procedure” or kickback.
In response, Estrada said he would file charges against Hernandez as he denied the accusations against him, describing these as “kathang-isip at gawa-gawa” (imaginary and made-up).
Jinggoy’s challenge
The senator likewise reiterated his challenge for both him and Hernandez to undergo a lie-detector test to determine who between them is telling the truth.
Estrada said the claim that he secured P355 million in infrastructure deals in Bulacan was unfounded, as any line item from the 2025 General Appropriations Act could be linked to any senator.
Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon had dismissed Hernandez, Construction section chief Jaypee Mendoza, and accountant Juanito Mendoza of the Bulacan first engineering district office after they were found guilty of disloyalty to the Republic and to the Filipino people, grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
“Accordingly, they are hereby ordered dismissed from the service, with accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from holding public office, forfeiture of retirement benefits, except accrued leave credits, and cancellation of civil service eligibility, pursuant to Section 73 of the 2025 RACCS,” Dizon said in his order.
The decision was handed down after the three were charged administratively for irregularities in the implementation of some flood control projects in the engineering district.
Dizon added that the dismissal of the officials “is without prejudice to the filing of appropriate civil or criminal actions before the proper authorities.”
