8 DPWH execs in flood mess plead ‘not guilty’

MANILA, Philippines —  Eight regional officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 4-B (Mimaropa) have claimed innocence on the alleged P289.5-million substandard flood control project in Oriental Mindoro, awarded to a construction firm linked to resigned Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co.

Appearing before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division yesterday, the eight DPWH regional officials pleaded “not guilty” during their arraignment for their case of violation of Section 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, a provision which prohibits public officials from giving unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference to a private party or from causing any party, including the government, undue injury.

Those who pleaded not guilty 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 chairperson Dominic Serrano, Quality Assurance and Hydrology Division officer-in-charge and BAC member Dennis Abangon, Planning and Design Division officer-in-charge Montrexis Tamayo, project engineer Felisardo Casuno and accountant Lerma Cayco.

Meanwhile, the scheduled arraignment of DPWH Region IV-B Maintenance Division chief Juliet Calvo was reset to Dec. 2, as her counsel said the custodial officer at Camp Karingal in Quezon City, where Calvo is currently detained did not receive a “produce order” from the court directing that she be brought to the Sandiganbayan for arraignment.

Calvo’s camp maintained that she surrendered and was not arrested on Wednesday morning after learning that she is now among the accused in the non-bailable case of malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents still in connection with the allegedly anomalous flood control project.

Calvo was initially released on Nov. 24 after posting a bail bond of P90,0000 for her graft case. At the time, she was not among the accused in the malversation through falsification case. The Office of the Ombudsman’s prosecution panel, however, later amended the case information, also referred to as the charge sheet, to include her.

Meanwhile, the court set the preliminary conference and pretrial proceedings of the case on Jan. 9, 19 and 26 and Feb. 5, 12, 19 and 26, 2026 at 9 a.m., wherein the prosecution and defense are set to mark their evidence and identify their witnesses before the start of the trial proper.

The court also ordered the issuance of “alias” arrest warrants against Co and six other accused who remain at large. This was after the first arrest warrants issued against them last Nov. 21 remain unserved.

Apart from Co, other accused who remain at large included DPWH Region IV-B materials engineer Timojen Sacar and the 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.

No kickbacks

Former DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan denied yesterday that he got percentage share in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) as alleged by former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo.

“I wish to express my profound astonishment and disbelief at the insinuations and allegations presented in the supplemental affidavit submitted by former Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, which implicate me in my capacity as then Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways,” Bonoan said in a statement emailed to The STAR through his legal counsel Stefanie Ong.

“Regardless of the substantial annual allocations amounting to billions of pesos for projects within the jurisdiction of former Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, I wish to state unequivocally that, I have never, at any time, discussed or initiated – either personally or through any other entity – any monetary consideration or favor connected to these projects,” he added.

Bonoan said he did not seek or accept benefits for himself or for anyone else related to the implementation of any project entrusted to Bernardo during his tenure as undersecretary for operations.  – Jose Rodel Clapano, Rainier Allan Ronda