Sandigan issues arrest warrants vs Co, 17 others

ICI, DPWH recommend graft, plunder cases vs Romualdez, Co

- ELIZABETH MARCELO

The Sandiganbayan has released arrest warrants for resigned Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co and 17 others in connection with an anomalous flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.

The issuance of the arrest warrants was announced by President Marcos himself in a video posted on his Facebook page yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) recommended to the Office of the Ombudsman the filing of plunder, graft and direct bribery charges against former speaker Martin Romualdez and Co.

In a briefer issued by the Sandiganbayan after Marcos' announcement, it said that apart from the arrest warrants, its Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Divisions also issued hold-departure orders (HDOs) against the accused to prevent them from leaving the country.

Among the accused, only Co was confirmed to be out of the country as of yesterday. His exact location remains unknown after he left the country last August.

Apart from Co, ordered arrested and prevented from leaving the country were DPWH Region IV-B director Gerald Pacanan, assistant regional director Gene Ryan Altea; assistant regional director Ruben Santos Jr., Construction Division chief Dominic Serrano, project engineer III Felisardo Casuno, materials engineer Timojen Sacar, Planning and Design Division OICchief Montrexis Tamayo, Maintenance Division chief Juliet Calvo, Quality Assurance and Hydrology Division OIC-chief Dennis Abagon, Accountant IV Lerma Cayco, bids and awards committee member Grace Lopez, BAC vice chairman Friedrich Karl Camero, president and chairperson of Sunwest board of directors Aderma Angelie Alcazar, Sunwest treasurer Cesar Buenaventura and Sunwest board members Consuelo Aldon, Noel Cao and Anthony Ngo.