DPWH officials allegedly funnelled billions in illicit funds through casinos.
The Philippines.- Senate president pro tempore Panfilo Lacson has claimed to have exposed a major money laundering scheme involving former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials. Dubbed the “Bulacan Group of Contractors” or “BGC Boys,” they allegedly laundered over PHP1bn (US$18.3m) through 13 casinos in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Pampanga between 2023 and 2025.
Lacson says Brice Ericson Hernandez, Jaypee Mendoza, Henry Alcantara, Arjay Domasig, and contractor Edrick San Diego used aliases and fake identification to conduct casino transactions. They reportedly converted cash into casino chips, played minimally, and cashed out to disguise illicit funds as gambling winnings.
“This is not mere luck. It bears the hallmarks of a money laundering scheme,” Lacson said, citing documents from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
The group allegedly racked up PHP950m (US$17.4m) in casino losses. The funds were reportedly linked to flood control projects in Bulacan, where funds allocated for infrastructure failed to prevent flooding. Investigations uncovered rigged bidding, falsified reports, and non-existent or substandard projects, such as one PHP92.58m (US$1.7m) project falsely reported as 46 per cent complete days after approval. Despite probes, some officials continued casino visits, with one recorded on September 1, 2025.
Lacson has submitted the officials’ names and aliases to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), calling for asset freezes and prosecution under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, which covers casinos. The allegations have disrupted a Senate hearing on online gambling.
DPWH officials allegedly funnelled billions in illicit funds through casinos. The Philippines.- Senate president pro tempore Panfilo Lacson has claimed to have exposed a major money laundering scheme involving former…
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