Metro Manila, Philippines – Nine accused in the flood control scandal pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, Dec. 2, in their non-bailable malversation case of over a P290-million substandard road dike in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.
The officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) attended the arraignment at the sixth division of the Sandiganbayan.
They are:
- Gerald Pacanan – regional director
- Gene Ryan Altea Allurin – assistant regional director;
- Ruben Santos Jr. – assistant regional director;
- Dominic G. Serrano – chief, construction division;
- Felisardo Casuno Sevare – project engineer III;
- Juliet Calvo Cabungan – chief maintenance division;
- Lerma Cayco – accountant IV;
- Dennis Abagon – OIC chief of quality assurance and hydrology division; and
- Montrexis Tamayo – OIC, planning and design division.
The officials are facing charges of malversation of public funds by falsifying disbursement documents, which led to the payment to project contractor Sunwest Inc.
Early in the day, Calvo also pleaded not guilty for her graft charge. She earlier posted a P90,000 bail for the case.
On Nov. 27, the eight others filed the same plea on their graft charges.
Meanwhile, the Ombudsman said it issued a six-month preventive suspension order against 12 officers of the DPWH Mimaropa, including those facing graft and malversation cases.
The announcement came after Juanito Lim, lawyer of Calvo, told the justices of the Sandiganbayan that the accused were suspended when asked about their employment status.
“This stemmed from the administrative case that was instituted simultaneously with the criminal charge,” Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano told reporters.
Other suspended officials are:
- Grace Lopez – BAC member;
- Frierich Carl Camero – BAC member; and
- Timojen Sacar – materials engineer.
Seven others remain at large, including former AKO BICOL party-list Rep. Zaldy Co.
