MANILA — Warrants of arrest have been issued against former Ako Bicol Representative Zaldy Co and 17 others involved in the alleged corruption surrounding the government’s flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

This was announced by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in a video posted on his social media account on Friday, November 21.

“At ang susunod na hakbang ay wala nang paligoy-ligoy pa. Ang ating mga awtoridad, ay syempre ipapatupad na itong mga arrest warrant. Aarestuhin na sila, ihaharap sa korte at pananagutin sa batas. Walang special na pagtrato, walang sinasanto,” Marcos said.

The issuance of the arrest warrants against Co and 17 others from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Mimaropa and Sunwest Corporation was based on the graft and malversation cases filed by the Office of the Ombudsman before the Sandiganbayan on November 19.

All the accused are facing three corruption-related charges: violation of Republic Act (RA) No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act Section 3(e), violation of RA No. 3019 Section 3(h), and malversation of public funds. These cases are now pending in different divisions of the anti-graft court.

The case stemmed from alleged irregularities in the procurement and construction of a flood control project worth ₱289,498,230 in the Mag-asawang Tubig River in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

The case against Co and the 17 other accused is the first flood control corruption-related charge to reach the courts.

After being implicated in the scandal, Co accused President Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez of allegedly masterminding the insertion of ₱100 billion worth of projects in the 2025 budget. Co also accused Marcos of receiving kickbacks amounting to billions from the projects.

Meanwhile, the DPWH and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), also on November 21, recommended the filing of plunder and other charges against Co and Romualdez.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon and other ICI officials submitted their joint referral report containing recommendations to the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday morning.

“The recommended action contained in the second to the last page, Letter A—violation of Republic Act 7080 or an Act Defining and Penalizing the Crime of Plunder; Letter B—violations of Section 3A, B, and E, and H of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. And finally, violation of Article 210 of the Revised Penal Code on direct bribery,” Dizon said.

The DPWH chief added that the joint referral includes contracts involving Sunwest Inc. and Hi-Tone Construction from 2016 to 2025, covering projects worth around ₱100 billion (₱67 billion for Sunwest and ₱32 billion for Hi-Tone).

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