Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Kaxandra Salonga

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1764660810693Screenshot 2025-12-02 153240_cropped_processed_by_imagy.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The DPWH Region IV-B officials are co-accused of Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co in the alleged anomalous project. <em>Kaxandra Salonga, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span>MANILA (<strong>UPDATED</strong>) -- The 9 officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways-Mimaropa pleaded not guilty to malversation charges before the Sandiganbayan 6th Division on Tuesday in relation to the alleged flood control anomaly in Oriental Mindoro.</div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/27/dpwh-mimaropa-officials-plead-not-guilty-in-flood-control-graft-case-0946">Eight DPWH-Mimaropa officials plead not guilty in flood control graft case</a></div><p>The DPWH Region IV-B officials are co-accused of Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co in the alleged anomalous project.</p><p>Those who entered not guilty pleas were DPWH Region IV-B officials Gerald Pacanan, Gene Altea, Ruben Delos Santos Jr., Dominic Serrano, Lerma Cayco, Juliet Calvo, Felisardo Casuno, Dennis Abagon, and Montrexis Tamayo</p><p>Maintenance Division Chief Calvo, who earlier posted bail for her graft charge, was arraigned for both graft and malversation. She pleaded<a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/2/9th-dpwh-mimaropa-official-pleads-not-guilty-to-graft-over-flood-control-mess-0926"> not guilty</a> to both charges. </p><p>They earlier pleaded not guilty for graft before the anti-graft court&#x27;s Fifth Division.</p><p>The court, chaired by Associate Justice Sarah Fernandez, set the pretrial for the malversation case on Dec. 11. The proceedings will tackle the stipulation of facts, marking of evidence, and identification of witnesses.</p><p>Meanwhile, the preliminary conferences for the graft case are set on January 19, and 26, and on February 5, 12, 19, and 26, 2025.</p><p>The male DPWH Region IV-B officials were committed to the new Quezon City Jail in Payatas, while the female accused were brought to Camp Caringal in Quezon City.</p><p>Lim &amp; Yutatco-Sze Law Firm earlier issued a statement denying that some of the accused attempted to evade arrest.</p><p>&quot;Contrary to what has been circulating in different media outlets, our clients, Engrs. Altea, Santos, Serrano, Calvo and Ms. Cayco voluntarily surrendered before the head of Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II. Their voluntary surrender took place in the afternoon of 23 November 2025,&quot; the statement read.</p><p>It claimed that Tamayo left for Israel with his family on November 17 for a religious pilgrimage and was granted an official travel authority signed by Secretary Vince Dizon.</p><p>&quot;Upon learning of the issuance of a warrant for his arrest, Engr. Tamayo voluntarily surrendered to the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, on 25 November 2025. Engr. Tamayo, paying for his own airfare, willingly returned to the Philippines to face the charges filed against him. He and his family were originally scheduled to return to the country on 29 November 2025,&quot; it said.</p><p>The law firm also claimed that the road dike project is &quot;not a ghost project.&quot;</p><p>&quot;It is an almost completed construction activity. Despite a number of typhoons in Oriental Mindoro, the project remains structurally sound and serviceable,&quot; it said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gg3a43s4hFY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VDMEzA9k8Ok?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The DPWH Region IV-B officials are co-accused of Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co in the alleged anomalous project.</p>

The DPWH Region IV-B officials are co-accused of Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co in the alleged anomalous project.

DPWH execs tagged in anomalous Mindoro project plead not guilty to malversation

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DPWH execs tagged in anomalous Mindoro project plead not guilty to malversation

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 02, 2025 03:34 PM PHT

|

Updated Dec 02, 2025 04:24 PM PHT

Read More:

Sandiganbayan

malversation

flood control

corruption

DPWH

Zaldy Co

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