APRIL 23, 2026 — A bombshell testimony has once again shaken the flood control scandal, as Vergel Niño Garcia, longtime aide of former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, revealed before the Sandiganbayan that he delivered sealed boxes and luggage to powerful figures including Bong Revilla, Jinggoy Estrada, Manuel Bonoan, and others — boxes he later learned contained cash. 

This revelation intensifies public outrage over how deep corruption may have seeped into government projects meant to protect communities from flooding.

Garcia testified that between 2023 and 2025, he delivered 12 boxes to Revilla’s “White House” in Cavite, 12 boxes to Estrada’s building in San Juan, and 55 boxes to DPWH chief Manuel Bonoan’s driver at various locations, including the Diamond Hotel and Tomas Morato. 

He also claimed to have delivered sealed bags and boxes to the late DPWH undersecretary Cathy Cabral, former DepEd undersecretary Trygve Olaivar, and even to a close aide of Makati Mayor Nancy Binay. 

Garcia admitted he never opened the boxes but later realized they contained cash once the flood control controversy erupted.

When asked about the boxes, Garcia described them as “mabigat po” (heavy) and roughly two handspans tall. He said he avoided asking questions because Bernardo would get upset whenever pressed.

Ironically, Bernardo himself — the prosecution’s star witness — was absent from the hearing due to illness. Sandiganbayan’s medical officer confirmed he suffers from chronic rhinosinusitis, pharyngitis, and acute bronchitis, with a possibility of infectious cough. The court advised justices to wear masks if he testifies in the next session. 

Prosecutors stressed that Bernardo’s testimony is crucial to establish Revilla’s alleged involvement in the ghost flood control project in Bulacan.

This development exposes how corruption thrives in secrecy — deliveries at hotels, parking lots, and private residences, all under the guise of routine errands. The testimony paints a picture of systemic rot, where aides and drivers become unwitting couriers of public funds.

If these allegations hold, then the scandal isn’t just about ghost projects but about a culture of impunity where powerful names recycle old tricks, confident that accountability will never catch up. After all, we have seen this movie before: plunder cases, lifestyle checks, endless hearings. Yet the floods keep coming, and the people remain vulnerable.

Do you think our leaders will ever really choose the people’s welfare over their own pockets? When will those in power finally put us above their greed?

Isn’t this the clearest sign yet that we must vote wiser next time?

(Image: Reddit)