Former Bulacan Engineer Brice Hernandez Returned to Senate Custody Amid Ongoing Flood Control Probe

Former Bulacan assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez was transferred back to Senate detention on Monday after several days of confinement at Pasay City Jail.

Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III confirmed the move, citing a recent hearing on a Writ of Amparo petition held by the Pasay Regional Trial Court Branch 112 as the basis for Hernandez's return.

"Hernandez's stay in the Senate affirms that the institution does not shy away from difficult truths nor turn its back on those who risk their safety to reveal them," Sotto stated.

The request for Hernandez to remain within the Senate detention facility was submitted by his legal team to both Senate President Sotto and Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chair Panfilo "Ping" Lacson. The Senate leadership approved the appeal and duly informed the Pasay court.

Upon arriving at the Senate complex around 10 a.m., Hernandez underwent a medical examination before being readmitted into custody.

Hernandez was originally held by the Senate following accusations from some lawmakers that he had offered false testimony during inquiries into alleged irregularities in flood control projects.

Due to security concerns, he was earlier transferred to the Philippine National Police Custodial Center ahead of his scheduled testimony before the House of Representatives.

During that session, Hernandez implicated Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva in dubious flood control schemes. The allegations triggered strong responses within the Senate, with Senator Estrada subsequently moving to transfer Hernandez to the Pasay City Jail—a motion supported by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri.

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is set to resume its hearings on the flood control probe on September 18.