SENATOR Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada filed a perjury complaint on Tuesday before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office against former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineer Brice Hernandez, accusing him of making false statements under oath.
In his complaint-affidavit, Estrada alleged that Hernandez “maliciously concocted lies” intended to damage his reputation.
“Respondent Hernandez has publicly and maliciously concocted lies under oath with an obvious intent to tarnish me, my name, and my reputation,” Estrada said.
“For this reason, I am charging respondent Hernandez with the crime of perjury under Article 183 of the Revised Penal Code.”
Hernandez, a former assistant district engineer of the DPWH Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office, is under the Department of Justice’s Witness Protection Program after testifying in an investigation into alleged irregularities in flood control projects.
He earlier claimed during a legislative hearing that Estrada inserted around P355 million worth of flood control projects in Bulacan and received kickbacks from contractors — allegations the senator has strongly denied as “baseless and politically motivated.”
The claims form part of a broader probe into alleged ghost or overpriced flood control projects in Bulacan and nearby areas, which are under review by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and the Commission on Audit.
Estrada said his complaint seeks to “restore his name” and hold accountable those spreading falsehoods against him.
“These malicious lies cannot go unanswered,” he said, vowing to continue efforts to clear his name from what he called “fabricated and baseless allegations.”
