NBI raids Zaldy Co’s condo units in BGC

12 DPWH execs suspended for 6 months

MANILA, Philippines — Brandishing a court order, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents yesterday swooped down on two condominium units owned by fugitive lawmaker Elizaldy Co in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig to search for and copy documents related to alleged bid rigging in flood control projects.

Also yesterday, one of the public works officials linked to corruption in a flood control project in Oriental Mindoro pleaded not guilty to graft charges.

Agents from the NBI’s Organized and Transnational Crime Division turned up at Co’s two units in an unnamed condominium carrying an inspection order issued by the Makati Regional Trial Court. The two units have a combined floor area of 600 square meters.

Only lawyers of Co, who were not named, faced the NBI agents.

Unlike in a search warrant where materials or evidence are retrieved, relevant documents or possible evidence are only copied – usually through scanning – in an inspection order, to prevent them from getting moved or destroyed.

An inspection order is effective for 14 days.

The NBI said the operation, which began at 8 a.m., was aimed at locating and copying records that could shed light on supposed budget insertions as well as on favored contractors in the multibillion-peso flood control projects.

Personnel from the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) assisted the NBI agents in identifying documents that may indicate collusion, advance payments or prearranged bids. The PCC personnel have been tasked to ensure that only documents related to the investigation would be touched.

According to the NBI, the inspection was prompted mainly by the testimony of whistleblowers Orly Guteza and former public works engineer Henry Alcantara, who claimed that bags containing millions in kickbacks were delivered to the same address – ostensibly for Co.

Co, who served as chairman of the House appropriations committee, has denied any wrongdoing.

He would later flee the country and release videos – apparently from abroad – accusing President Marcos of benefiting from the anomaly, from which the former lawmaker claimed had earned him nothing.

‘Good suggestion’

At Malacañang, Palace press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said offering of a reward for information that would lead to the whereabouts of Co has not been discussed, but can be considered a “good suggestion.”

Since we heard it from you, maybe it can be considered. But as of now, nothing has been discussed about it,” Castro said at press briefing.

12 DPWH execs suspended

Facing the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division yesterday, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 4-B Maintenance Division head Juliet Calvo declared her innocence when arraigned on graft charges related to the P289.5-million substandard flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.

Calvo, along with Co and several other DPWH officials, has been slapped with charges for violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019, which prohibits public officials from giving unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference to a private party or from causing any party, including the government, undue injury. Calvo was brought to the anti-graft court from Camp Karingal in Quezon City where she is detained.

While she had posted P90,000 bail bond on her earlier graft case, she was rearrested after being included in the malversation through falsification case by the Office of the Ombudsman’s prosecution panel.

Calvo’s eight co-accused in the graft charge entered their “not guilty” pleas last Nov. 27.

They were DPWH Region IV-B director Gerald Pacanan, assistant regional directors Gene Ryan Altea and Ruben D.S. Santos Jr., Construction Division chief and Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) chairman Dominic Serrano, Quality Assurance and Hydrology Division officer-in-charge and BAC member Dennis Abangon, Planning and Design Division officer-in-charge Montrexis Tamayo, project engineer Felisardo Casuno and accountant Lerma Cayco.

Calvo was not arraigned on Nov. 27 because she did not receive a “produce order” from the court that she be brought to the Sandiganbayan for arraignment.

The court set the preliminary conference and pretrial proceedings of the case on Jan. 9, 19 and 26 and Feb. 5, 12, 19 and 26, 2026 at 9 a.m.

During the proceedings, the prosecution and the defense are expected to mark their evidence and identify their witnesses before the start of the trial proper.

Calvo and the eight other accused are also facing a non-bailable case of violation of Article 171(4) of the Revised Penal Code or malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents before the Sandiganbayan’s Sixth Division. They have yet to be arraigned on the case.

The court also ordered the issuance of “alias” arrest warrants against Co and six other accused who remain at large. This was after the first arrest warrants issued against them last Nov. 21 remain unserved.

Co is also facing a graft charge solely before the court’s Seventh Division.

Apart from Co, the other accused who remain at large are DPWH Region IV-B materials engineer Timojen Sacar and the executives of Sunwest Inc., namely its president and board chair Aderman Alcazar, treasurer Cesar Buenaventura and board members Consuelo Aldon, Noel Yap Cao and Anthony Ngo.

Delay in passport cancellation hit

Meanwhile, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco lambasted the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for delays in the cancellation of Co’s passport.

“When there is a will, there is a way,” Tiangco said in a statement in reaction to DFA’s statement confirming that Co’s passport remains active as there is no court order yet for its cancelation. He slammed the DFA for its “disturbing lack of urgency” in canceling the fugitive lawmaker’s passport.

“Here we see, when there is a will, there is a way, but if there is no will, there are many alibis,” he added.

Tiangco cited President Marcos’ own declaration that Co’s passport would be canceled as soon as cases were filed against him.

“There are many cases against him, but the DFA appeared to be sleeping in panciteria and are insensitive to the anger of the people,” he said.

Tiangco, the first lawmaker to link Co to the flood control scam, stressed that the DFA must act swiftly amid a revelation by Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla that Co may have already secured a Portuguese passport and golden visa.

“That is why we cannot understand why the DFA is not acting on it,” Tiangco said. “All of us know how important Zaldy Co is in the investigation of the anomalous flood control projects. It is just right to have him returned to the country to face justice,” he added. — Daphne Galvez, Jose Rodel Clapano, Alexis Romero