Barangay chairman testifies on substandard flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro

A barangay chairman in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, faced the Sandiganbayan to disclose what he knew about the allegedly substandard road dike project in the area.

Nestor Asi, chairman of Barangay Tagumpay, testified before the justices of the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division that he saw the construction workers cut the six-meter steel sheet pile in half, Maki Pulido said in a report on "24 Oras" on Thursday.

Only three meters were allocated for the road dike, he said, stressing that this would be inadequate to withstand the river's current.

Asi said his calculations were based on his experience as a construction worker.

When the defense camp asked him why he had visited the construction site, Asi responded that he was glad that there was a project that would lessen the effects of flooding in his community.

Asi said he was sure that the project was handled by Sunwest Construction because it was the only company working in the area.

He also mentioned that he had talked to the foreman of Sunwest, a firm founded by former Ako Bicol party-list congressman Zaldy Co and still owned by his immediate family members, according to the Office of the Ombudsman.

Co, who remains at large, is one of the accused in the malversation case involving the P292-million road dike project. 

According to the report, in December 2024, a portion of the road dike collapsed. Sunwest fixed it, but two months later, it collapsed again.

The prosecution will end its presentation of evidence on February 9 as part of the bail hearings. — VBL, GMA Integrated News