Senator Jinggoy Estrada hit back at former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez, bringing his credibility into question as a “BGC boy” who indulges in casinos at the public’s expense and the owner of many costly vehicles.
“Ang dalawang ito (Hernandez and Bulacan Project Engineer I Arjay Domasig) ay kabilang sa tinagurian ni Senator Panfilo Lacson na ‘BGC boys’ o Bulacan Group of Contractors—mga suki sa casino. Si Brice, a.k.a. Marvin Santos De Guzman, ay nakapaglustay ng aabot sa ₱435 million at nakapag-launder ng perang humigit sa isang bilyong piso,” Estrada said during his privilege speech on Wednesday.
He also recounted Syms Construction Trading General Manager Sally Santos’ account, in which she admitted to sending Hernandez a total of ₱1 billion—sometimes carried in noodle boxes—from 2022 to 2025.
Moreover, the senator revealed that Hernandez is in possession of various mid- to high-end vehicles, including a Honda Civic Type R Turbo, a Ford Everest, a BMW R1250GS, a Ducati XDiavel Nera, and a Honda Goldwing.
In spite of the former DPWH executive’s claim that the vehicles are part of his sibling’s buy-and-sell business, Estrada pointed out that they were registered under his and his wife’s names.
Estrada said that he had been warned that he would make an “easy target” due to his previous pork barrel funds scandal. He stressed that he faced his case head-on and fought for his acquittal.
“Should that sad and dark chapter of my life be reason for me now to do nothing, say nothing and just keep quiet when my job as an elected Senator of this country calls on me to take a stand and expose these people?” he asked.
After Estrada seconded the motion to cite Hernandez in contempt, the latter ran to the lower chamber to offer them the convincing story of Estrada’s involvement in embezzling funds, the senator asserted.
Estrada emphasized that while an “engineer of lies and robbery” (engineer ng kasinungalingan at pandarambong) like Hernandez is at large, no one is safe, especially taxpayers whose money is funneled into “ghost” or fictitious projects.
“My brother Senator JV Ejercito is known as the ‘good one.’ Ok lang po ‘yon, dahil kapatid ko siya. But let me be known as the other Estrada who went after the bad ones,” he stated firmly.
“I will expose and relentlessly pursue the bad ones, regardless of the risk and notwithstanding the cost. Hindi ako natatakot at lalong hindi ko papayagan na gamitin ng masasamang tao ang nakaraan ko, para lamang patahimikin ako,” he added.
On Monday, Hernandez implicated Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva in substandard and bogus flood control projects in Bulacan, claiming both pocketed 30 percent of the funds for every project in the province.
