Witness: 'Maleta' delivered to Revilla, Estrada, Bonoan

National

A FORMER aide turned state witness has implicated several high-ranking government officials in a sprawling malversation scheme, testifying that he spent two years transporting large sums of cash disguised as innocuous cargo.

In a report by Inquirer.net, Vergel Nino Garcia, a former driver for then-Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, took the stand at the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division on Thursday, April 23.

In a bombshell testimony during the bail hearing for former Senator Bong Revilla, Garcia detailed a series of deliveries made between 2023 and 2025 involving boxes and suitcases, or “maleta.”

According to Garcia, he was acting under the direct instructions of his former boss, Bernardo, to transport what he later realized were illicit funds.

“I trusted him (Bernardo) that he would not get me into trouble” Garcia stated when asked by Associate Justice Ronald Moreno if he had ever questioned the nature of the items he was carrying.

He noted that at the time of the deliveries, he had no personal knowledge of the contents, only learning their true nature once formal investigations began.

Garcia provided a detailed ledger of these drop-offs, identifying recipients that included Senator Revilla, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, the late former Undersecretary Cathy Cabral, and former Education Undersecretary Trygve Olaivar.

He testified that in February 2025, he delivered 12 boxes intended for Revilla to a property in Cavite known as the “White House.”

Similarly, 12 boxes were dropped off in November 2024 at the “Artiaga Building” in San Juan City, where Garcia alleged he witnessed Senator Estrada present during the unloading.

The testimony also pointed to extensive deliveries allegedly made to Secretary Bonoan, totaling 55 boxes across various locations, including the Diamond Hotel and a restaurant on Tomas Morato, Quezon City. Garcia claimed these items were typically received by Bonoan’s driver, identified only as Joni.

Additional deliveries were linked to the late Cathy Cabral and former official Trygve Olaivar. Garcia recounted delivering a paper bag and a box to Cabral in 2023, noting that she was present for one of the handovers at the Quirino Grandstand parking area.

Regarding Olaivar, the witness claimed 15 boxes and four suitcases were delivered between 2023 and 2024, with Olaivar allegedly receiving at least one shipment personally.

The court also heard mention of eight boxes delivered in January 2025 to a certain Carleen Villa. While Garcia offered no further details on the individual, a previously disclosed affidavit from Bernardo—read during a Senate hearing in November 2025—identified a Carleen Villa Yap as an aide to Makati City Mayor Nancy Binay.

The proceedings took an unexpected turn as Garcia was called to testify ahead of schedule. The prosecution had originally slated Bernardo to take the stand, but he was absent due to illness. A medical certificate was submitted to the court indicating that Bernardo is currently hospitalized at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center for treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis, follicular pharyngitis, and acute bronchitis.

The Sandiganbayan has since ordered its own medical officer to verify the state of the former official's health.(Jhon Mark A. Aboabo, USJ-R Comm Intern)