8 accused in Mindoro flood control case under custody

MANILA, Philippines — Eight individuals linked to an anomalous flood control project in Oriental Mindoro have been taken into custody, authorities announced on Monday.

Earlier on Monday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced that authorities already held several suspects in custody in connection with the case.

“To all the accused still at large, I advise you to surrender now. Don’t wait to be chased. It’s better for your situation to surrender now so that you can properly respond to the allegations against you,” Marcos said in Filipino in a video on social media.

“To those who plan on helping them hide, remember that you will also be held accountable somehow,” he added.

In a joint press conference, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) showed mugshots identifying the suspects in custody as:

• OIC-Chief, DPWH 4B Quality Assurance and Hydrology Division; Regular Member, Bidding and Awards Committee (now OIC-Chief, Planning and Design Division) Dennis Pelo Abagon
• Department of Public Works and Highways Mimaropa (DPWH 4B) Regional Director Gerald A. Pacanan
• Assistant Regional Director (now Director of DPWH Bureau of Maintenance) Gene Ryan Alurin Altea
• Assistant Regional Director Ruben delos Santos Santos Jr.
• Chief, DPWH 4B Construction Division Dominic Gregorio Serrano
• Chief, DPWH 4B Maintenance Division Juliet Cabungan Calvo
• Project Engineer III Felisardo Sevare Casuno
•  DPWH 4B Bidding and Awards Committee Account IV Lerma Dotado Cayco

At the press conference, NBI Officer-in-Charge Atty. Angelito Magno said Abagon was arrested on Sunday.

Meanwhile, also at the briefing, acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said Pacanan surrendered to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), leading to the arrest of his six other co-accused.

Nartatez did not say when Pacanan surrendered and when the others were arrested.

READ: ‘Hunt’ on for Zaldy Co, 15 others; cops start at Taguig home 

Marcos announced the issuance of the arrest warrants against former House of Representatives appropriations committee chair and resigned Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co and 15 of his co-accused for the Sandiganbayan cases last Friday.

Co and the 15 others are accused of violations of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, as well as malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents in connection with a P289.5-million road dike project in Oriental Mindoro.

 The 15 others accused are DPWH 4B officials and executives of Sunwest Corporation, a construction firm linked to Co.

Co’s whereabouts

At the briefing, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Co was still at large. He previously said the former lawmaker’s last known location was Japan.

“We believe he is traveling with another passport. We do not know if he is using another name, so vine-verify pa namin,” the DILG chief said.

“The [International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)] blue notice is out. Now that we have the arrest warrant, the red notice can be out and we will further determine kung nasaan talaga siya (we will further determine where he actually is),” he added.

An Interpol blue notice aims to “collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a criminal investigation,” while an Interpol red notice aims to “seek the location and arrest of persons wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence.”

READ: Jonvic Remulla: Zaldy Co last seen in Japan ‘a few days ago’

3 expected to return to PH

Meanwhile, according to Remulla, three more were known to be overseas:

• Sunwest President and Board of Directors Chairperson Aderma Angelie D. Alcazar – Last known location in New Zealand
• Sunwest Treasurer and Board of Directors Member Cesar X. Buenaventura – Last known location in New York, United States
• DPWH 4B OIC-Chief Planning and Design Montrexis T. Tamayo – Last known location in Jordan

“Save for Zaldy Co, the other members believed to be abroad have made contact with our law enforcement agencies and are expected to show up at the embassy and begin immediate repatriation towards the Philippines,” Remulla said.

“They have done so voluntarily, informing us of their whereabouts and we informed them of their right to proceed immediately to the embassy as soon as possible,” he added. 

The other individuals still at large are:

• DPWH 4B Material Engineer Timojen Adiong Sacar
• Sunwest Board of Directors Member Conseulo Dayto Aldon
• Sunwest Board of Directors Member Engr. Noel Yap Cao
• Sunwest Board of Directors Member Anthony L. Ngo

Security personnel said Sacar “could not be located” and authorities found he had “vacated” his residence in Barangay Pinyahan, Quezon City last August, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) said on Sunday.

Meanwhile, according to the QCPD, Ngo’s caretaker said he “no longer resides” at the registered address in Quezon City and that his family said they had “no communication” with him since the issuance of the arrest warrant.

Further, in a statement last Saturday, Albay police said they tried to serve Cao the arrest warrant in Guinobatan town, but locals said he was “not a resident” and he was “unknown to them.”

Authorities have yet to detail information on Aldon’s whereabouts.

“No matter where you are in the world we will find you. If you are at large, we will find you. If you are hiding in the Philippines, we will find you,” Remulla told the at-large individuals.

Abagon arrest

Magno further detailed that Abagon was arrested at a house in Sikatuna Village, Quezon City after police failed to serve him the warrant at his last known address in Cavite.

The NBI officer-in-charge added that a couple, who were stay-in helpers at the Quezon City house, was also arrested for supposedly assisting Abagon.

“Reports were made that the house where he was arrested is allegedly owned by the vice mayor of Bansud, Oriental Mindoro. We are still verifying the authenticity of this information,” Magno said.

Remulla, however, said “We have determined that he is the owner of the property. Ang dine-determine lang namin kung ano ang nature ng kanyang stay sa lugar na yan (We are trying to determine the nature of his stay there).”

“So, until we determine kung he was renting or he was being hidden, wala pa kaming definite statement kung ano ang status ng kanyang investigation (we have no definite statement yet on the status of the investigation),” he added.

Asked about videos showing that NBI operatives barged into the house to arrest Abagon, Remulla defended the move, saying: “Standard operating procedure talaga yan. If they refuse to open the door, then the arrest warrant gives them the power to forcibly break open the door.”

(That’s just standard operating procedure. If they refuse to open the door, then the arrest warrant gives them the power to forcibly break open the door.) /gsg