Thursday, October 29, 2026  ·  Manila
 Breaking News, Special Reports and In-Depth Stories in the Philippines
TSR
Nation

Henry Alcantara to be detained for lying in Senate hearing

Henry Alcantara to be detained for lying in Senate hearing
Share

The situation, in brief

Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan 1st District Engineer Henry Alcantara was cited in contempt by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on Thursday, September 18, for allegedly lying in its ongoing investigation into ghost flood control projects. Alcantara, already dismissed…

Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan 1st District Engineer Henry Alcantara was cited in contempt by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on Thursday, September 18, for allegedly lying in its ongoing investigation into ghost flood control projects.

Alcantara, already dismissed from the DPWH, maintained that he had no involvement in the alleged ghost projects in Bulacan.

“Kami naman po ’pag lumalabas po sa GAA, ini-implement lang po namin ’yung project, your honor. Hindi po namin alam kung nasaan po ’yang ano na ’yan,” Alcantara told the panel.

His denial, however, drew a rebuke from Senator Erwin Tulfo.

“Dalawang hearing na itong nagsisinungaling. Sa mga taong nasa baba lahat may kasalanan, ikaw wala. District engineer ka, hindi mo alam na may ghost project? Hindi ba dumadaan sa lamesa mo ’yan,” Tulfo said during the hearing.

Tulfo then moved to cite Alcantara in contempt, a motion that was immediately approved by the committee without objection.

“Unacceptable, and therefore I will move that we cite this person in contempt for lying before this committee,” Tulfo said.

Alcantara will be taken into Senate custody alongside contractor Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya, who was also earlier cited in contempt for allegedly lying about his wife’s absence from the hearing.

More on Nation

See all
Marcos’ net satisfaction ratings drops to ‘poor’ in latest SWS survey
Nation

Marcos’ net satisfaction ratings drops to ‘poor’ in latest SWS survey

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s net satisfaction rating fell to “poor” from “neutral” in the third-quarter survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS). Marcos’ net satisfaction rating dropped to -11 in September 2026 from -7 in June, according to the survey. The SWS said 35% of adult Filipinos…

Magellan may have reached the Philippines because of El Niño — without knowing it: study
Nation

Magellan may have reached the Philippines because of El Niño — without knowing it: study

Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan may have reached the Philippines in 1521 because of El Niño, without him or his fellow voyagers knowing it. A 2021 study by Dr. Scott Fitzpatrick of North Carolina State University and Dr. Richard Callaghan of the University of Calgary examined Magellan’s…

More than one teaspoon of salt increases risk of heart diseases, stroke — WHO
Nation

More than one teaspoon of salt increases risk of heart diseases, stroke — WHO

Cardiovascular diseases remain the world’s leading cause of death—not only in the Philippines—the World Health Organization (WHO) said. According to the WHO, cardiovascular diseases claim an estimated 17.9 million lives each year, with excessive salt intake identified as one of the key…

‘Very strong’ El Niño may emerge by October, PAGASA warns: ‘This should be taken seriously’
Nation

‘Very strong’ El Niño may emerge by October, PAGASA warns: ‘This should be taken seriously’

Reduced rainfall may be experienced in the coming months as the El Niño phenomenon continues to rapidly strengthen and may persist until the first half of 2027, according to the PAGASA. Ana Solis, chief of PAGASA’s Climate Impact Assessment and Prediction Section, said warming ocean temperatures…

Free newsletter

The Morning SitRep

The day’s most important stories in the Philippines and the world, in one five-minute read. Delivered at 6 AM, Monday to Saturday.

Breaking alerts Special reports first No spam
Check your inbox — we’ve sent a link to confirm your subscription.Something went wrong. Please try again in a moment. By subscribing you agree to TSR’s privacy policy.