Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson accused public works officials and contractors of laundering kickbacks from ghost and substandard flood control projects by disguising them as casino winnings, a scheme he dubbed the “casino spree” of the so-called “BGC Boys.”
He identified Bulacan district engineers Henry Alcantara, Brice Ericson Hernandez, Jaypee Mendoza, Arjay Domasig, and contractor Edrick San Diego as participants who used fake IDs and aliases to gamble away hundreds of millions.
Citing casino records, Lacson alleged billions in cash were converted into chips and back into cash to make illegal kickbacks appear legitimate, with Hernandez even gambling during Senate hearings.
He also linked the Maglanque, Bernardo, and Bonoan families to the corruption, pointing to their ties to major construction firms and properties allegedly financed by questionable contracts.
Lacson vowed to ask the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to freeze their assets, condemning them as shameless for embezzling public funds while Bulacan residents endured flooding.
Source: PhilNews24 | September 10, 2025
