Metro Manila, Philippines – Brice Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza, former engineers of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan 1st district, have pleaded not guilty to their graft charges with the Sandiganbayan in relation to the P92.8 million non-existent flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.
The two accused filed their plea during the scheduled arraignment with the Sandiganbayan fourth division on Wednesday, Jan. 28.
Their co-accused, Christina Pineda, who was a cashier at the DPWH Bulacan 1st district engineering office, also pleaded not guilty.
Meanwhile, the anti-graft court reset the arraignment for DPWH engineer Arjay Domasig for Feb. 9, in response to his appeal.
Domasig said he terminated the services of his legal counsel and would need time to hire a new lawyer.
His schedule coincides with the graft arraignment of former Sen. Bong Revilla, who earlier filed a motion to quash the cases against him.
The pre-trial for Hernandez, Mendoza, Pineda, and DPWH engineer Emelita Juat – who previously pleaded not guilty to the graft charge – was set on Feb. 19.
Revilla and the former DPWH officials, except from Juat, were detained at the Quezon City Jail male and female dormitories, for their non-bailable malversation charges.
It was the second case filed with the Sandiganbayan in the multi-billion peso flood control corruption scandal, following the cases involving fugitive Zaldy Co in relation to the substandard road dike in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.
