Daraga cops serve arrest warrant vs accused in Albay flood control mess

The Daraga Municipal Police Station (MPS) served a warrant of arrest against one of the accused in the anomalous flood control project in Daraga, Albay.

In a social media post, the Daraga MPS said the warrant was issued by the Sixth Division of the Sandiganbayan on Friday, November 21, for charges of malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents, with no bail recommended.

The arrest warrant was served on November 22 at the accused’s home in Barangay Tagas. However the accused was not present.

Based on information gathered from his wife and mother, the accused came home last October after his trip to Masbate and is possibly in Manila at present. He remains at large.

On Saturday, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) served an arrest warrant in Quezon City to at least one personality implicated in the alleged anomalous flood control projects controversy. 

Taguig City Police on Saturday also served an arrest warrant against former Ako Bicol party-list representative and House Appropriations Committee chairman Zaldy Co in his condominium in Bonifacio Global City. Co, however, was not in the condo. 

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos announced Friday that arrest warrants were issued against Co, officials of the Department of the Department of Public Works and Highways, and directors of contracting firm Sunwest Corp.

The Sandiganbayan identified Co and 16 other individuals as the subjects of the arrest warrants, who have also been placed on a hold departure order.

Independent Commission for Infrastructure executive director and spokesperson Brian Keith Hosaka, in a statement, welcomed the Sandiganbayan’s issuance of arrest warrants against Co and others accused in the flood control corruption scandal. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF/KG, GMA Integrated News