Philippine politics is rocked by another scandal. On September 8, the Senate's "Blue Ribbon Committee" revealed shocking details—Bryce Erickson Hernandez, the former Assistant Engineer for the First District of Bulacan in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), lost nearly 49 million pesos in just three months at the well-known Okada Manila casino, causing public uproar.
During the hearing, Senator Rodante Marcoleta presented official records from Okada Casino, revealing Hernandez's gambling spree month by month:
In March 2025, he once won 6 million pesos;
In April, he lost over 25 million;
In May, he lost another 10 million;
In June, he continued to lose 14 million;
Only in July did he manage to recoup 15 million.
However, the cumulative losses still amounted to a staggering 49 million pesos, which is shocking.
Faced with questioning, Hernandez flatly denied involvement, insisting he was "just attending a meeting" and did not gamble. Marcoleta slammed the table and retorted, "The casino records are clear in black and white, do you dare say the LTO system is also fake? You are blatantly lying!"
Another senator, Erwin Tulfo, stated bluntly, "The amount of money an ordinary Filipino would not earn in a lifetime, he gambled away in a few months and still has the audacity to deny it? This is an insult to the nation!"
Under strong demand from several lawmakers, the committee immediately voted to find Hernandez in contempt of Congress and lying, and ordered his detention on the spot.
Records show that Hernandez had already been involved in multiple corruption cases related to flood control projects in Bulacan Province. The revelation of this massive gambling scandal further intensifies suspicions of internal corruption within the DPWH. A senator harshly criticized, "How can an ordinary civil servant gamble tens of millions of pesos? Where does the backing funds come from? This is not just a personal scandal, but a national disgrace."
