Witness says Alcantara ordered disposal of receipts for cash deliveries to Co

MANILA — A personal assistant to ex-Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan 1st District Engr. Henry Alcantara testified on Thursday that his former boss ordered him to tear up acknowledgment receipts for cash deliveries to former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co.

Wirt Walter Rosales delivered the testimony during the sixth day of the Sandiganbayan Third Division’s bail hearing on former House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s plunder case over the alleged P7.4 billion in ill-gotten wealth from government infrastructure kickbacks.

Rosales, who also introduced himself as the partner of Alcantara’s sister, said suspended engineer Carlo Rivera printed the receipts which were then signed by Co’s executive assistants, John Paul Estrada and Mark Tecsay.

After Rosales presented the signed receipts to Alcantara, the former district engineer often instructed him to tear them up and throw them away.

“Pinapakita ko po kay Henry Alcantara na okay na po ang acknowledgment receipt. Inuutos niya po sa akin na itapon na po,” Rosales said.

Rosales testified that the receipts stated the total amount delivered but did not specify the number of suitcases or plastic container boxes used to transport the money.

He said the largest amount he remembered appearing on an acknowledgment receipt was around P300 million.

Rosales said he proposed preparing the receipts because Alcantara could not always accompany the delivery team.

He also testified that he prepared a separate sheet with the names of infrastructure projects, their appropriations and the corresponding kickback percentages. The sheet was separate from the acknowledgment receipts and was left with Co’s executive assistants, he said.

Rosales also testified that cash intended for delivery to Co was counted inside a room in Alcantara’s office that he described as a “secret room.”

He said he helped Rivera, who is set to testify on Oct. 27, count the money before it was packed into plastic container boxes or suitcases.

Rosales said he heard Alcantara and Rivera discussing that the money came from contractors.

Rosales said they initially used plastic container boxes for deliveries to Co’s unit at Horizon Homes in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, in early 2022. He recalled three deliveries to the property’s basement.

By January 2023, he said, deliveries were being made to a property in Valle Verde using suitcases.

Rosales testified that he accompanied Alcantara on some deliveries but was not present for every transaction. He said Alcantara sometimes stayed at a coffee shop while they brought the containers to Co’s units.

Asked to estimate the total amount delivered to Co, Rosales said it could have exceeded P1 billion.

The prosecution also presented Police Major Ermelo Dichoso Jr., who served as team leader of Co’s security detail from January 2024 to May 2025.

It said Dichoso’s testimony is intended to establish the alleged conspiracy between Co and Romualdez.

Dichoso testified that he accompanied Co to meetings at several properties linked by the prosecution to Romualdez: a property on Aguado Street in Manila, two units at the Manila Polo Club Townhouse in Forbes Park, Makati, and properties on Narra Road and Tamarind Road, also in Forbes Park.

He also claimed to have witnessed Co give Romualdez a gift of clothing at the Narra property in December 2024.

The prosecution and defense stipulated to the authenticity of land titles covering three properties. These included a property on McKinley Road registered under Romualdez’s name, a property on Narra Road registered under Brightnews, and a property on Tamarind Road registered under Golden Pheasant Holdings Corp.

The prosecution described Brightnews and Golden Pheasant as companies holding properties for Romualdez’s benefit.

Meanwhile, the court’s Third Division said law enforcement agencies have yet to provide an update on the implementation of arrest warrants against Romualdez’s co-accused, including Co, Romualdez staff member Joselyn Serenio and Samchan Foreign Exchange Corp. President Felicito Guevarra.