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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Sandiganbayan sets for Nov. 27 and Dec. 2 arraignment of accused in P289.5-M flood control cases

Sandiganbayan sets for Nov. 27 and Dec. 2 arraignment of accused in P289.5-M flood control cases

Published Nov 24, 2025 04:07 pm

The Sandiganbayan has set for Nov. 27 and Dec. 2 the arraignment of the 16 accused in the P289.5 million “anomalous” flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

The arraignment on Nov. 27 will be conducted by the anti-graft court’s fifth division where the graft charge against the accused is pending.

On Dec. 2, set for arraignment by the court’s sixth division are the charges of malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents.

The court’s seventh division where another graft case is pending against resigned congressman Zaldy Co has not set the date of arraignment considering that the court has not gained physical jurisdiction over the former legislator who is abroad.

During the arraignment, the court will read the charges against them and will ask for their plea – either guilty or not guilty.

A “not guilty” plea will be entered in the case records if an accused refused to enter a plea.

The cases against the accused who are not present during the arraignment will be archived by the court until their arrest or surrender.

Earlier on Monday, Nov. 24, eight of the 16 accused were turned over to the Sandiganbayan for booking and commitment order.

Turned over former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region IV-B Regional Director Gerald A. Pacanan, Assistant Regional Director Gene Ryan A. Altea, Assistant Regional Director Ruben D. Santos Jr., Construction Division Chief Dominic G. Serrano, Project Engineer III Felisardo S. Casuno, Material Engineer Juliet Cabungan Calvo, Accountant IV Lerma D. Cayco, and officer-in-charge Chief of Quality Assurance and Hydrology Division Dennis Pelo Abagon.

Seven of the accused surrendered to the Philippine National Police (PNP) while Abagon was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in a house in Quezon City.

Since Ombudsman prosecutors have recommended no bail for the accused in the malversation and falsification of documents and the anti-graft court has adopted the recommendation, the six males will be detained at the Payatas new jail facility in Quezon City, while the two female accused will go to Camp Karingal, also in Quezon City.

Still at large as of posting time were Co, Regional Chief of the Planning and Design Division Montrexis Tordecilla Tamayo, Material Engineer Timojen Adiong Sacar, as well as Sunwest Construction and Development Corporation President Aderma Angelie D. Alcazar, Treasurer Cesar X. Buenaventura, and Sunwest board members Consuelo Dayto Aldon, Engineer Noel Yao Cao, and Anthony L. Ngo.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said that Co left for Singapore last Aug. 6 and has not returned to the Philippines; Tamayo left for Qatar last Nov. 15; and Sunwest’s Alcazar and Buenaventura left last Oct. 2 for Australia and the United Arab Emirates, respectively.

The cases against them stemmed from the probe conducted by DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon and Oriental Mindoro Gov. Bonz Dolor on the irregular P289.5 million flood control project for the Construction of a Road Dike along the Mag-Asawang Tubig River in Naujuan town contracted by Sunwest, a construction firm identified with Co.

They discovered that the steel sheet piles used for the dike were grossly below the required standards. There was an exposed pile length of 2.5 meters, and another 0.6 meter was embedded in the pile cap.

All in all, there was a total of only three meters, which is far from the 12-meter specification stated in the Detailed Engineering Design, they said.

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