ASEANEWS HEADLINE-COURTS & CRIME | MANILA, Philippines: Accused in Mindoro flood mess now in jail
Eight of the accused linked to an anomalous flood control project in Oriental Mindoro are escorted to the Sandiganbayan yesterday for booking and issuance of commitment orders./ Miguel De Guzman
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8 accused in flood control scam now under custody | ANC
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MANILA, Philippines — After their surrender and arrest over the weekend, eight public works officials charged with graft and malversation of public funds intended for flood control projects have been ordered detained by the Sandiganbayan at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) facilities in Quezon City, while awaiting arraignment set for Nov. 27 and Dec. 2.
The eight officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 4-B (Mimaropa), who are co-accused of resigned Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co, were presented yesterday by authorities before the anti-graft court for booking procedure.
Seven of them voluntarily surrendered to the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group while one was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation.
The development came as President Marcos vowed a relentless pursuit of personalities linked to the multibillion-peso flood control corruption scandal.
“This will be relentless. We will not stop,” the President said in a video on social media.
In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office said Marcos met yesterday with the heads of agencies involved in the implementation of the arrest warrants against those indicted for graft and malversation in flood control anomalies.
Among the officials who met with Marcos in Malacañang were Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla and acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida.
The Sixth and Fifth Divisions of the Sandiganbayan issued warrants for the suspects’ arrest last Friday.
Presented before the Sandiganbayan yesterday were DPWH Region IV-B regional director Gerald Pacanan, assistant regional directors Gene Ryan Altea and Ruben D.S. Santos Jr., Construction Division chief and Bids and Awards Committee chairman Dominic Serrano, Quality Assurance and Hydrology Division officer-in-charge and BAC member Dennis Abangon, project engineer Felisardo Casuno, accountant Lerma Cayco and Maintenance Division chief Juliet Calvo.
Only Calvo was allowed to post bail amounting to P90,000 for her case of violation of Section 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
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The rest were consigned to the supervision of the BJMP as they are facing non-bailable cases of malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents under the Revised Penal Code, apart from their graft case.
The court’s Fifth Division, which is handling the graft case, set the accused’s arraignment for Nov. 27 while the Sixth Division which is handling the non-bailable case of malversation through falsification scheduled their arraignment for Dec. 2.
Commitment order
As of last night, the Sandiganbayan has yet to release the commitment order identifying the facilities where the accused would be detained.
But the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) would later confirm that the six male accused were immediately brought to the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas after they were presented before the Sandiganbayan.
Cayco, according to a source, would be detained at Camp Karingal Female Dormitory. Both facilities are near the Sandiganbayan.
Meanwhile, eight other accused in the cases remain at large. Aside from Co, they are DPWH Region IV-B Planning and Design Division officer-in-charge Montrexis Tamayo and DPWH Region IV-B materials engineer Timojen Sacar, as well as executives of Sunwest Inc. namely, its president and board chair Aderman Alcazar, treasurer Cesar Buenaventura and board members Consuelo Aldon, Noel Yap Cao and Anthony Ngo.
Apart from his cases of malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents and violation of Section 3 (e) of RA 3019, Co is also the sole accused in a case of violation of Section 3 (h) of RA 3019 to be handled by the court’s Seventh Division.
Section 3 (e) of RA 3019 prohibits public officials from giving unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference to a private party or from causing any party, including the government, undue injury.
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Section 3 (h) of RA 3019, on the other hand, prohibits a public official from directly or indirectly having financial or pecuniary interest in any business, contract or transaction with the government, in which he has the official capacity to intervene or in which he is prohibited by the Constitution or by any law from having any interest.
Filed by prosecutors of the Office of the Ombudsman last Nov. 18, the cases stemmed from the alleged substandard flood control project implemented by DPWH-Region IV-B in Mag-Asawang Tubig River in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.
The project, with a total budget of P289.5 million, was awarded to contractor Sunwest Inc., supposedly co-owned by Co.
Blue notice
Interior Secretary Remulla said the Interpol has already issued a blue notice against Co, who is believed to be abroad and possibly traveling using a non-Philippine passport.
“We believe he is traveling with another passport. We do not know if he is using another name so we are still verifying,” he said at a briefing held jointly with Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon.
A blue notice allows authorities to gather additional information on a subject individual’s identity or activities.
“We have to make this clear that no matter where you are in the world, we will find you,” Remulla said. “If you are at large, we will find you. If you are hiding in the Philippines, we will find you.”
Remulla said the other suspects believed to be overseas have already contacted authorities and expressed willingness to surrender through Philippine embassies.
“Our best advice to all who have outstanding warrants is to surrender as soon as possible. If we go on a manhunt after you, we cannot guarantee the results,” he said.
NBI officer-in-charge Angelito Magno said Abagon was arrested in Quezon City in a house reportedly owned by a vice mayor of Oriental Mindoro.
Remulla emphasized the government is serving the warrants without political considerations. “What you see is what you get. There is no political intervention here,” he said.
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Dizon said more arrest warrants are expected to be served as the government continues to build up cases against perpetrators of anomalies in flood control projects. “This was the first case filed, related to flood control projects in Oriental Mindoro. There are many more people to be charged with cases, and many more to be arrested,” he said.
“Let us wait a little longer, we have already waited for a few months,” Dizon said.
In his video message, Marcos urged the accused who are still at large to surrender and not wait for authorities to pounce on them.
“It would be better for your situation to surrender so you can respond properly to the allegations against you,” he said.
Marcos also warned those who are helping the accused evade authorities, noting that one of the persons arrested by the NBI was found in someone else’s house.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker-nephew of detained former president Rodrigo Duterte welcomed the filing of charges against public officials involved in the flood control project scandal, but said this was not enough.
“These are only early steps in a very long journey toward genuine accountability. What this country needs is not symbolic progress, but swift, comprehensive and uncompromising action,” Rep. Harold Duterte of the Pwersa ng Pilipinong Pandagat party-list said.
“Filipino people deserve to see every peso stolen from them returned – with interest,” he said. “They deserve to see not only the foot soldiers of corruption prosecuted, but the masterminds, beneficiaries and protectors held to the same standard of justice.
“We expect this investigation and prosecution to proceed fearlessly and impartially, reaching all those responsible – regardless of rank, power or political connection. For true justice to prevail, no one must be exempt,” Duterte insisted.
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“To those who are attempting to help the accused hide, you will also be held to account if you are harboring a fugitive from justice,” he said.
No special treatment should be given to the accused, he added. — Alexis Romero, Mark Ernest Villeza, Rainier Allan Ronda, Delon Porcalla
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