MANILA — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Sunday arrested a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineer allegedly involved in irregularities in flood control projects.
According to the NBI, engineer Dennis Abagon was located and taken into custody in Quezon City based on an issued warrant of arrest for him and several others tagged in the controversy.
The Quezon City Police District (QCPD), however, said it has yet to serve the warrants of arrest for the remaining accused, saying officers were unable to find any of them at their registered addresses.
“While operatives visited all registered addresses of the accused, none of the subjects were present during the attempts; hence, no warrant was deemed served,” QCPD said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has given former Ako-Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co and other co-accused until today to surrender following the issuance of multiple arrest warrants.
DILG secretary Jonvic Remulla said in a radio interview on Saturday that the agency is awaiting official copies of the warrants so he can issue a memorandum instructing Co to turn himself in.
“[The memorandum] will state na bibigyan namin kayo hanggang Lunes na mag-surrender sa pinakamalapit ahensya ng gobyerno at magpakita, para maiharap namin. Otherwise, sila hahanapin namin,” Remulla said.
He warned that failure to surrender would result in Co and the others being considered fugitives.
“Kasi kung sila po ay magtago, then we will consider them fugitives of justice. ‘Pag sila po magpakita ng konting aggressive maneuvers or evasive maneuvers, baka magpapasensyahan kami. Ako, mabigat po kamay ko sa ganyan,” he said. “Gagamit ako po ng bigat ng batas niyan para makuha sila.”
Remulla said the warrant implementation will be carried out jointly by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The Sandiganbayan issued several warrants of arrest on Friday for Co and 17 others in connection with suspected irregularities in flood control projects.
Hold departure orders have also been issued, but the Department of Foreign Affairs clarified that no court order has yet been issued to cancel Co’s passport./PN
