The Sandiganbayan building in Quezon City, February 19, 2020. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File
MANILA (UPDATED) — A former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineer charged with malversation alongside former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co told the Sandiganbayan on Tuesday that he had no knowledge of nighttime construction activities by a Co-linked company at a road dike in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.
Felisardo Casuno, a former DPWH-Mimaropa project engineer, returned to the witness stand at the anti-graft court's Sixth Division. He said he neither knew of nor consented to the driving of 3-meter steel sheet piles instead of the 12 meters required under the project's detailed engineering design.
"Ang contractor hindi sila nagno-notify na may activity ng gabi… supposedly magno-notify ang contractor kung may gawain sa gabi," Casuno said.
He said he learned of the nighttime activity only when a witness testified about it in court.
Guillermo Gamus, a night watchman hired by Sunwest, earlier testified that the sheet piles used in the flood control project were cut into thirds before being driven into the ground.
Gamus told prosecutors that Sunwest workers did the cutting and burying of the materials, and that Casuno was not present during the activity.
Casuno said he was confident that 12-meter piles were installed during his inspection and showed the court a photo of three sheet piles he said were 12 meters long.
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However, prosecutors argued the photo did not establish the length of the materials.
Casuno then said it was the contractor's responsibility to follow specifications.
"May obligation ang contractor na sundin specifications kasi sila ang may hawak ng materials, tao… ‘Di naman kami empleyado ng Sunwest na andon lagi," he said.
Prosecutors noted that Casuno signed the certificate of statement of work accomplished, a document needed to process disbursement vouchers. Casuno said he was unfamiliar with the voucher processing procedure.
Ex-DPWH official admits signing certificate without personal inspection of Mindoro road dike
He also reiterated that he had told co-accused Gerald Pacanan, then DPWH-Mimaropa regional director, that he was handling too many projects in different locations to inspect all of them.
"Ni-raise ko kay RD Pacanan na hawakan ko pa ba ang Palawan kung hawak ko rin Oriental Mindoro [project]? [Sabi niya,] ‘Hawakan mo pa rin,’" Casuno said.
Casuno said the sheet piles were driven three times, but he was present only once, in March 2024. He said he knew of the other two instances but could not send personnel because of his team's workload.
Casuno earlier denied falsifying the inspection certificate for the project, but admitted he often relied on Sunwest’s reports because he could not be present at critical stages of construction.
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Associate Justice Kevin Vivero allowed Casuno's final witness, Jose Sumangil of the Administrative Division of DPWH-Mimaropa, to testify next week.
The prosecution earlier objected to Sumangil's presentation because he was not named in the pre-trial order or the list of substitute witnesses.
Casuno's counsel said Sumangil would testify on the unavailability of equipment needed to check whether the steel sheet piles meet requirements.
Sumangil issued a certification on Oct. 5 stating that no such equipment was available as of March 2024.
CALVO DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL
Meanwhile, the lawyer of former DPWH-Mimaropa Maintenance Division chief Juliet Calvo told the court that she had been discharged from the hospital after suffering from a brain hemorrhage that left her partially paralyzed and unable to speak.
A physician who has treated Calvo since 2018 earlier testified that she needed continuous medical attention to prevent another bleeding episode that could lead to a more debilitating stroke.
Associate Justice Sarah Fernandez said Calvo’s return to the female dormitory clinic at Camp Caringal would be up to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in charge of her custody.
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