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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Aside from Zaldy Co, 3 co-accused in P289.5-M 'anomalous' flood control project no longer in PH

Aside from Zaldy Co, 3 co-accused in P289.5-M 'anomalous' flood control project no longer in PH

Published Nov 23, 2025 12:45 pm  |  Updated Nov 23, 2025 01:31 pm
Three co-accused of resigned congressman Zaldy Co have left the Philippines even before the filing by the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) of the criminal cases last Nov. 18 and the issuance of the arrest warrants and hold departure orders by the Sandiganbayan last Nov. 21.
In a statement, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said that co-accused Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Planning and Design Division Montrexis T. Tamayo left the Philippines for Qatar last Nov. 15, while Sunwest, Inc. President and Board Chairman Aderma Angelie D. Alcazar and Sunwest’s Treasurer Cesar X. Buenaventura left last Oct. 2 for Australia and the United Arab Emirates, respectively.
Co, the BI said left the Philippines for Singapore last Aug. 6. He has not returned to the country since then. Reports stated that Co was last tracked in Japan.
Aside from Co, Tamayo, Alcazar and Buenaventura, also charged with graft and malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents and ordered arrested were DPWH Region IV-B Director Gerald A. Pacanan, Assistant Regional Director Gene Ryan A. Altea, Assistant Regional Director Ruben C. Santos, Jr., Construction Division Chief Dominic G. Serrano, Project Engineer III Felisardo S. Casuno, Materials Engineer Timojen A. Sacar, Maintenance Division Chief Juliet C. Calvo, Quality Assurance and Hydrology Division OIC-Chief Dennis P. Abagon, Accountant IV Lerma D. Cayco, bids and awards committee member Grace D. Lopez, BAC vice chairperson Friedrich Karl L. Camero, and Sunwest board members Consuelo D. Aldon, Noel Y. Cao, and Anthony L. Ngo.
They were implicated in the “anomalous” flood control project implemented by the DPWH-Region IV-B in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.
Region IV-B is the Southwestern Tagalog Region known as MIMAROPA – the constituent provinces of Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado assured that immigration officers at the country’s international airports and seaports have been placed on heightened alert against those ordered arrested by the Sandiganbayan.
Viado said those ordered arrested will be immediately flagged by immigration officers as their names have already been placed in the bureau’s centralized derogatory database.
“Once intercepted, our officers are under strict instruction to promptly coordinate with the Philippine National Police for the proper and lawful execution of the warrants,” he also said.
Earlier, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had urged all the accused to surrender now that the arrest warrants have been issued against them.
“We urge former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co and all co-accused to surrender now while it is a choice and not a consequence,” NBI Officer-in-Charge Angelito DLP. Magno said in a statement.
“The warrants are live, our teams are moving, and the window is closing fast,” Magno warned.
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