Blue notice vs Zaldy Co out — SILG Remulla

A blue notice has been issued by the Interpol against former Ako Bicol Party-list Representative and House Appropriations Committee chairman Zaldy Co who is facing charges in connection with alleged anomalous flood control projects, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Monday.

“We believe he is traveling with another passport. We don't know if he is using another name. So vine-verify pa namin (we are still verifying). The blue notice is out,” Remulla said at a press conference when asked why authorities are taking so long to capture Co.

According to Interpol, a blue notice is for the collection of additional information about a person’s identity, location, or activities in relation to a criminal investigation. 

READ: What are Interpol notices?

Remulla said authorities are expecting a red notice against Co will be issued soon following the issuance of arrest warrant against the former lawmaker.

“Now that we have the arrest warrant, the red notice can be outed. Then we will further determine kung nasaan talaga siya (where he really is),” Remulla said.

A red notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action, according to Interpol.

Eight respondents

A total of respondents in anomalous flood control projects are now in custody. They are identified as follows:

• 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
• Felisardo Casuno, DPWH Project Engineer 3
• Juliet Calvo, DPWH Chief, Maintenance Division 
• Lerma Cayco, DPWH Accountant IV
• Dennis Abagon, DPWH OIC-Chief, Quality Assurance and Hydrology Division; Regular Member, BAC

According to Remulla, four respondents are believed to be abroad including the following:

• Co (last seen in Japan) 
• Aderman Alcazar, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sunwest Construction (New Zealand)
• Cesar Buenaventura,Treasurer and Member of the Board of Directors of Sunwest Construction (New York)
• Montrexis Tamayo, DPWH OIC-Chief, Planning and Design Division (Jordan)
• Alcazar, Buenaventura, and Tamayo have reached out to authorities and are expected to be repatriated to the Philippines.

“Save for Zaldy Co, the other members who are believed to be abroad have made contact with our law enforcement agencies, are expected to show up at the embassy and begin immediate repatriation towards the Philippines,” Remulla said.

“They have done so voluntarily, informing us of their whereabouts. And we informed them of their right to proceed immediately to the embassy as soon as possible,” he added.

Interviewed on GTV’s Balitanghali, Bureau of Immigration (BI) spokesperson Dana Sandoval said tht aside from the four accused, no other implicated individuals have left the country so far.

“Kung sila mag-attempt na umalis sa ating formal na paliparan at international na pantalan, ito po ay nasa ating centralized database,” Sandoval said.

(If they attempt to leave our formal airports and international ports, it will be in our centralized database.)

“So, agad po namin ma-encounter at makikita po ito ng ating immigration officer. Once makita po tagged ang tao na siya po ang wanted dito sa case na ito, i-inform po agad ang kapulisan para mag-implement ng arrest doon sa mga individual,” she added.

(So, we will immediately encounter it and our immigration officer will see it. Once we see the person tagged as the one wanted in this case, we will immediately inform the police to implement an arrest on the individual.)

If the accused left the country through illegal migration backdoors, Sandoval said the concerned local government, police, and coast guard will handle the matter.

Sandoval said that those who will help the accused to leave the country will be penalized.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) officer-in-charge Angelito Magno said the agency is investigating the alleged stay of one of the arrested persons, Abagon, in a house supposedly owned by a local official in Bunsod, Oriental Mindoro.

“We are still verifying the authenticity of this information,” Magno said. 

Malversation of public funds

On Friday, President Ferdiand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said arrest warrants have been issued against Co and 17 others including officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and directors of Sunwest Corp. over supposed anomalous flood control projects. 

On November 18, the Ombudsman filed with the Sandiganbayan corruption and malversation of public funds charges against Co and others. 

The charges were in connection with the alleged anomalous P289 million flood control project in Oriental Mindoro. These 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. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News