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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 9 DPWH regional officials plead 'not guilty' to charges of non-bailable malversation of public funds

9 DPWH regional officials plead 'not guilty' to charges of non-bailable malversation of public funds

Published Dec 2, 2025 04:06 pm
Nine officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Region IV-B, who are now detained, pleaded “not guilty” when arraigned on charges of non-bailable malversation of public funds and falsification of public documents in the P289 million flood control project in Oriental, Mindoro.
Arraigned by the Sandiganbayan’s sixth division on Tuesday afternoon, Dec 2, were Regional Director Gerald A. Pacanan, Assistant Regional Directors Gene Ryan A. Altea and Ruben D. Santos Jr., Construction Division Chief Dominic G. Serrano, Project Engineer III Felisardo S. Casuno, Accountant IV Lerma D. Cayco, Maintenance Division Head Juliet Calvo, Officer-in-Charge Chief of Quality Assurance and Hydrology Division Dennis Pelo Abagon, and Planning and Design Division Officer-in-Charge Montrexis Tamayo.
Calvo, who was able to post P90,000 bail bond on her graft case, was also arraigned before the Fifth Division on Tuesday morning. She pleaded "not guilty" to the graft charge.
She was the only accused who evaded arraignment last Nov. 27 as the anti-graft court was unable to issue a produce order for her to appear last Thursday.
On the other hand, Pacanan, Altea, Santos Jr., Serrano, Casuno, Cayco, Abagon, and Tamayo already pleaded "not guilty" to their graft charges.
Since no bail was recommended on the malversation charges, the female accused were brought to Camp Karingal in Quezon City while the male accused went to the Payatas new jail facility.
The other accused, resigned congressman Zaldy Co, still remained at large. He is also facing a graft charge solely before the court’s seventh division.
Accused who also remained at large are Materials Engineer Timojen Adiong Sacar, as well as Sunwest Construction and Development Corporation President Aderma Angelie D. Alcazar, Treasurer Cesar X. Buenaventura, and Board of Directors Consuelo Dayto Aldon, Engineer Noel Yao Cao, and Anthony L. Ngo.
They were charged in the anomalous P289 million flood control project for the Construction of a Road Dike along the Mag-Asawang Tubig River in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, which was found to be substandard.
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