MANILA, Philippines — The three former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials and a contractor are still not free from charges in connection with the anomalous flood control projects even if they have been admitted to the government's Witness Protection Program (WPP).
"Being a state witness does not mean that they are acquitted of all charges but only have immunity from criminal liabilities in cases where they can provide credible evidence for the prosecution," Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said on Tuesday before proceeding to the Sandigan bayan to testify in the bail hearing of former DPWH-Mimarioa officials and former Ako-Bicol Partylist representative Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co.
Dizon was referring to former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, dismissed Bulacan first district engineer Henry Alcantara, former DPWH National Capital Region regional director Gerard Opulencia, and Syms Construction Trading owner and manager Sally Santos.
The four were admitted to the WPP following a thorough evaluation of their testimonies and their readiness to return the "kickbacks" they got from ghost and anomalous flood control projects.
Dizon expressed confidence that the witnesses were carefully examined and vetted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of the Ombudsman.
The four state witnesses, the DPWH chief said, have also the duty and obligation to expose the "brain" behind the anomalous flood control projects.
As to the cases against Co and company, Dizon is confident that the government has a "solid" or air-tight case against them.
"That is the instruction of the President to the DPWH - to ensure that our cases are solid. We believe that we have a solid case. With these cases, we can easily convict the individuals we are now accusing," he added.
Dizon said that based on the pieces of material and testimonial evidence they would be able to file more solid cases against those linked to the flood control scandal.
Co, along with some DPWH officials and private individuals, including the board of directors of Sunwest Corp.,. were tagged as behind the alleged anomalous P289-million road dike project in Oriental Mindoro, which was contracted to Sunwest Corp., a construction firm also owned by the Co family.
They are facing charges of malversation through falsification and two counts of graft before the Sandiganbayan. This is the first case against Co since the President exposed in his state of the nation address last July 2025 the anomalous flood control projects across the country.
Also named respondents were DPWH Mimaropa Regional Director Gerald Pacanan, Regional Director Gene Ryan Alurin Altea, Assistant Regional Director Ruben delos Santos Jr., Construction Division Chief Dominic Gregorio Serrano, Project Engineer Ill Felisardo Sevare Casuno, Maintenance Division Chief Juliet Cabungan Calvo, Bidding and Awards Committee Accountant IV Lerma Cayco, Bidding and Awards Committee OIC Dennis Abagond, and DPWH Mimaropa Planning and Design Division OIC Montrexis Tamayo, among others.
Co had denied all the allegations against him. He also went on YouTube linking the President and his cousin, former Speaker Martin Romualdez, to the problem control scam.
