By I. Inojales | 09:48 AM April 24, 2026
MANILA, Philippines — Former Department of Education (DepEd) undersecretary Trygve Olaivar of Candijay town, Bohol, and a certain Carleen Villa (née Yap) of Tagbilaran City, a former beauty queen, were among the personalities allegedly linked to deliveries of sealed boxes and luggage, according to testimony presented before the Sandiganbayan.
Olaivar is the husband of Candijay Mayor Thamar Olaivar.
Vergel Niño Garcia, a former driver and aide of state witness and ex–Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, made the statements during a bail hearing before the anti-graft court’s Third Division on Thursday.
Garcia told the court he personally delivered multiple boxes and suitcases to several individuals, including former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, former DPWH chief Manuel Bonoan, the late DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina “Cathy” Cabral, Olaivar, Villa, and an unidentified recipient in a Manila building.
He said Olaivar allegedly received a total of 15 boxes and four pieces of luggage across three deliveries between 2023 and 2024, while Villa purportedly received eight boxes in January 2025.
Garcia clarified, however, that he did not know the contents of the boxes at the time of delivery, noting that they were sealed and the suitcases locked. He said he only later learned that the packages allegedly contained cash when investigations into flood control project anomalies began.
The witness said Bernardo had informed him that the deliveries were intended for senators, DPWH officials, and other personalities.
Garcia detailed several deliveries: 12 boxes for Revilla at a property known as the “White House” in Cavite in February 2025; 12 boxes for Estrada at a building in San Juan in November 2024, where he claimed to have personally seen the senator; and a total of 55 boxes for Bonoan delivered across multiple locations in Manila and Quezon City between November 2024 and June 2025.
He also testified about separate deliveries to Cabral in 2023, including one at her residence in Quezon City and another near the Quirino Grandstand.
During the hearing, Associate Justice Ronald Moreno asked Garcia if he had any suspicions about the contents of the boxes.
Garcia responded that he did not, saying he trusted Bernardo would not place him in harm’s way.
Revilla, Estrada, and Bonoan are respondents in plunder cases filed by the Department of Justice in connection with alleged irregularities in flood control projects.
As of posting time, Bonoan and Estrada have yet to issue statements regarding the allegations.
