Marcos: Arrest Zaldy Co, 17 others in flood control projects mess

Warrants of arrest have been issued against former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co and 17 others–officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways and directors of Sunwest Corp.–in connection with the flood control projects controversy, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. announced on Friday.

"May warrant of arrest na laban kay Zaldy Co at 17 iba pa mula sa DPWH at Sunwest Corporation. Kaya’t sa ating law enforcement agencies, huwag na nating patagalin pa. Arestuhin na ninyo sila," Marcos said in a video posted on Facebook.

"Siguraduhin maisagawa ito nang mabilis at tama. Gumugulong na ang hustisya," he added.

(Warrants have been issued for the arrest of Zaldy Co and 17 others in the DPWH and Sunwest Corporation. To our law enforcement agencies, arrest them immediately. Let's not delay this. Make sure that this is done quickly and properly. The wheels of justice are already turning.)

Sandiganbayan issues Hold Departure Order, warrant of arrest vs. ex-Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, DPWH officials and Sunwest Construction directors who are facing malversation and graft raps over a P289 million substandard flood control project in Oriental Mindoro @gmanews pic.twitter.com/Dr0bF5wdsA

— Llanesca T. Panti (@llanescajourno) November 21, 2025

The Sandiganbayan said it issued warrants for the arrest of the following individuals aside from Co. They have also been placed on a hold departure order.

• Gerald Pacanan, DPWH Regional Director
• Gene Ryan Altea, DPWH Assistant Regional Director
• Ruben D.S. Santos, DPWH Assistant Regional Director
• Dominic Serrano, DPWH Chief, Construction Division; Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) Chairperson
• Juliet Calvo, DPWH Chief, Maintenance Division 
• Dennis Abagon, DPWH OIC-Chief, Quality Assurance and Hydrology Division; Regular Member, BAC
• Montrexis Tamayo, DPWH OIC-Chief, Planning and Design Division
• Lerma Cayco, DPWH Accountant IV
• Felisardo Casuno, DPWH Project Engineer 3
• Timojen Sacar, DPWH Material Engineer
• Aderman Alcazar, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Sunwest Construction
• Cesar Buenavntura,Treasurer and Member of the Board of Directors, Sunwest Construction
• Consuelo Aldon, Member of the Board of Directors, Sunwest Construction
• Engr. Noel Yap Cao, Member of the Board of Directors, Sunwest Construction and
• Anthony Ngo, Member of the Board of Directors, Sunwest Construction

Hold departure order

All three Sandiganbayan Divisions handling the cases, which are the Fifth, Seventh and the Sixth Division, all issued warrants of arrest and HDO.

Co is the lone accused who is a defendant in all three cases. The rest of the accused are facing one court of graft and one count of malversation charges. 

The former chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations is reportedly abroad.

He recently released a video implicating Marcos and the former Speaker, Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, in the alleged insertion of P100 billion in the 2025 General Appropriations Act during the bicameral conference committee deliberations.

Marcos has said he would not dignify Co's allegations.

Romualdez said his conscience remained clear.

Where is Zaldy Co?

With a court case now filed against Co, Interior Secretary Juanito Victor "Jonvic" Remulla said the Philippines would apply for a red notice on the former congressman with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).

The DILG will also move to request the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to cancel the ex-legislator's passport.

In September, the House of Representatives said Co flew to the United States for medical treatment. 

Records of the US Customs and Border Protection showed that Co arrived in New York on August 26 and left on September 13.

Remulla clarified that the DILG has no information about Co's current whereabouts, but added that his previous locations were the US, Europe, Singapore, Portugal, Spain, and Japan.

Passport cancellation

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday said it has yet to receive a court order instructing the agency to revoke Co's passport.

In a statement, the DFA said it could only cancel Philippine passports issued to Filipino citizens "upon receipt of a court order issued by a competent Philippine court."

"This is pursuant to Sections 4 and 10 of RA 11983 or the New Philippine Passport Act. As of this time, the Department has not received such an order," the DFA said.

There are three grounds for denial, cancellation, or restrictions of a passport: if the passport holder is a fugitive from justice, if the holder has been convicted of a criminal offense, or if a passport was acquired fraudulently or was tampered with.

Corruption charges

The Ombudsman on Tuesday filed before the Sandiganbayan corruption and malversation of public funds charges against former Co, several officials of the DPWH in the MIMAROPA region, and Sunwest Corporation directors.

The charges were in connection with the alleged anomalous P289 million flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.

The charges were the first lodged against those allegedly involved in the flood control kickback scheme that Marcos first flagged during his fourth State of the Nation Address in July.

Government prosecutors said that the P289 million non-existent flood control project built by Sunwest Corporation, a firm owned by Co's immediate family members, is substandard.

"The Office of the Ombudsman welcomes the issuance of warrants of arrest against Zaldy Co and the 17 other accused in the corruption cases filed before the Sandiganbayan last Tuesday," the Ombudsman said in a statement.

"To the law enforcement agencies whose responsibility it is to effect the arrests—execute the warrants without delay. Ensure their immediate arrest and bring them before the bar of justice," it added.

Motion denied

The Sandiganbayan denied the motion of the seven DPWH Region 4B officials to stop the anti-graft court from issuing warrants of arrest stemming from criminal charges filed against them in connection with the P289 million substandard flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.

“The only ground to temporarily suspend the issuance of a warrant of arrest is if the judge is in doubt of the existence of probable cause, who then has the option to order the prosecutor to submit additional evidence," the Sandiganbayan said.

"However, since there is no such finding in this case regarding probable cause, the legal basis for suspending the issuance of warrants of arrest, as argued by accused movants, does not exist,” it added.

“Accordingly, premises considered, the Motion to Hold in Abeyance Issuance of Warrants of Arrest filed by accused Gene Ryan A. Altea, Ruben D.S. Santos, Dominic G. Serrano, Montrexis T. Tamayo, Juliet C. Calvo, Dennis P. Abagon, and Lerma D. Cayco is denied for lack of merit,” the Sandiganbayan said.

This means that the Sandiganbayan issued the warrants of arrest just three days after it received the criminal information from the anti-graft court.

'No special treatment'

Marcos ensured there would be no special treatment for those who would be arrested in relation to the flood control projects scandal. 

''Walang special na pagtrato, walang sinasanto. Ako ang nagsimula nitong lahat at ako ang tatapos kaya’t asahan po ninyo na wala pong tigil itong aming ginagawa kahit na napakatagal ang dumaan na panahon,'' Marcos said.

He thanked the public for its patience in waiting for the results of the investigation into alleged corruption in flood control projects.

''Ako ay nagpapasalamat sa pasensya ng ating mga kababayan ngunit nagbunga na ng resulta ang mga pasensya ninyo,'' Marcos said. 

(There will be no special treatment.  I started all of these, and I will be the one to finish. Expect that we will be relentless even if it takes some time. I thank our countrymen for their patience, which has already borne fruit.)  –NB, GMA Integrated News