Metro Manila, Philippines – The anti-graft court has issued an arrest warrant against former House appropriations chairman Zaldy Co and 15 others in relation to graft and non-bailable malversation charges on Friday, Nov. 21.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself announced the release of the warrants in a video message.
“Hindi po ito haka-haka. Hindi po ito kwento. Ito po ay tunay na ebidensya,” he said in a video message, presenting the list of people with an arrest warrant from the Sandiganbayan.
“Ihaharap sa korte at pananagutin sa batas. Walang special na pagtrato, walang sinasanto. Ako ang nagsimula nitong lahat at ako ang tatapos,” he added.
[Translation: This is not hearsay. This is not a mere story. This is real evidence…They will be brought before the court and held accountable under the law. No special treatment, no exemptions. I am the one who started all of this, and I will be the one to finish it.]
The list of accused with arrest warrants in the 5th and 6th divisions of the Sandiganbayan is as follows:
Zaldy Co – former chair of the House committee on appropriations
Gerald Pacanan Ceso III – regional director, DPWH MIMAROPA Region IV-B
Gene Ryan Altea – assistant regional director
Ruben Santos Jr. – assistant regional director
Dominic G. Serrano – chief, construction division;
Felisardo Casuno – project engineer III;
Timojen Sacar – materials engineer;
Montrexis T. Tamayo – OIC-chief, planning and design division;
Juliet Calvo – chief maintenance division;
Dennis P. Abagon – OIC-chief, quality assurance and hydrology division;
Lerma D. Cayco – accountant IV;
Aderma Angelie D. Salazar – president and chairman of the board of directors, Sunwest;
Cesar X. Buenaventura – member, board of directors and treasurer, Sunwest;
Consuelo Aldon – member, board of directors and treasurer, Sunwest;
Engr. Noel Y. Cao – member, board of directors, Sunwest;
Anthony L. Ngo – member, board of directors, Sunwest;
The seventh division, which handles Co’s other graft case, has an arrest warrant as well against the former lawmaker.
The Sandiganbayan also issued a hold departure order against the accused, which barred them from exiting the country.
Co has been overseas even before the flood control scandal blew up.
Only 16 officials were issued an arrest warrant – fewer than the 18 people recommended by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure for filing of cases in court.
In a statement, the Office of the Ombudsman welcomed the issuance of arrest warrants.
“To the law enforcement agencies whose responsibility it is to effect the arrests – execute the warrants without delay. Ensure their immediate arrest and bring them before the bar of justice,” the office said.
The ombudsman filed the cases on Nov. 18 over a substandard P290-million road dike in Naujan Oriental Mindoro, contracted by Sunwest Inc. where Co was said to be a beneficial owner.
The warrant came a week after Co implicated the president in a supposed P100-billion insertion in the current budget.
Earlier in the day, the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure recommended plunder, bribery, and graft charges against Co and former House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, the president’s cousin.
