CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro – The owner of the apartment building where a Department of Public Works and Highways engineer was arrested by National Bureau of Investigation agents said she is willing to cooperate with the authorities to shed light on the presence of the suspect in her property.

Vice Mayor Alma C. Mirano of Bansud, Oriental Mindoro province denied that she harbored Engr. Dennis Abagon of DPWH-Mimaropa (Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) who was arrested by the NBI last Sunday inside an apartment in Sikatuna Village, Quezon City.

Mirano admitted that she owned the apartment that the DPWH engineer and his family has been renting since October 2024.

Abagon, former officer-in-charge of the Planning and Design Division of DPWH-Mimaropa, is one of the accused in the graft and malversation and plunder cases filed before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the anomalous P289-million flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

Abagon held two other vital positions at the DPWH regional office – a regular member of the bids and awards committee and chief of Quality Assurance and Hydrology Division.

The NBI said Abagon, along with other senior officials, allegedly endorsed and certified without authority works related to the project’s designs and specifications.

Mirano said she was in adjacent door of the apartment building when the NBI arrived to arrest the suspect.

She said she even offered the NBI to use another access leading to Abagon’s door but they refused as it was not indicated in the warrant.

Mirano said she was aware that a DPWH employee was renting her apartment but she said she had no knowledge that the tenant was facing criminal charges before the anti-graft court.

She said a certain Joel Briones directly dealt with her and not Abagon.