MANILA — January 12, 2026. The camp of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineer Brice Hernandez has categorically denied claims that he will retract his testimony regarding alleged irregularities in flood control projects. His legal counsel, Atty. Ernest Levanza, clarified that reports of a recantation are false and should not be taken as fact.

According to a report by GMA News, Levanza stated, “The alleged recantation is not true.” He added that further clarifications may be made during the resumption of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on January 19, where Hernandez is expected to appear.

Hernandez, along with other former DPWH engineers including Henry Alcantara and Jaypee Mendoza, previously testified before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee about alleged ghost projects and anomalies in flood control programs. Their statements implicated certain lawmakers and officials in the misuse of public funds.

The controversy has since widened, with the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice (DOJ) conducting parallel investigations. Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano dismissed talk of recantations as mere speculation, saying, “Seems like noise to us. We will only rely on sworn statements. Besides, that would hurt their admission into witness protection.”

DOJ spokesperson Atty. Raphael Nicollo “Polo” Martinez also confirmed that no official recantation has been filed, stressing, “There has been no official recantation by Alcantara whether written or verbal.”

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee, said the panel will address the reported recantation issue during its next hearing. He warned that any witness who retracts sworn testimony could face perjury charges, as their statements were made under oath.

When Noise Is Used to Dilute the Truth 

Speculation thrives when the truth starts to hurt. In corruption cases, rumors often arrive before accountability does. Talk of a recantation, even when firmly denied, plants doubt where clarity should stand. It shifts attention away from sworn testimony and pulls the public into a fog of maybes.

This noise surfaced as flood control anomalies faced deeper scrutiny at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and parallel probes moved forward. Officials insist there is no retraction, yet the rumor mill keeps turning. That persistence matters. Credibility weakens long before facts are overturned.

The timing feels deliberate. When questions narrow and pressure rises, distraction becomes a tool. If nothing has changed on record, why stir confusion now, and who gains when the truth starts to blur?