MANILA – Nine high-ranking officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region III entered pleas of not guilty on Tuesday to charges of malversation of public funds during their arraignment at the Sandiganbayan, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing probe into the P20-billion flood control scandal that has rocked the Marcos administration. The executives, accused of misappropriating funds tied to substandard and ghost river dike projects in Bulacan, stood before the anti-graft court’s Fifth Division, their denials setting the stage for a protracted trial that could expose deeper layers of systemic corruption.
The arraigned officials include former DPWH Region III Director Roseller Tolentino, Assistant Regional Director Melquiades Sto. Domingo, and seven others from the regional maintenance and planning divisions. Prosecutors allege the group colluded with contractors to siphon funds through overpriced contracts, fake progress reports, and unauthorized disbursements for flood mitigation works that either never materialized or crumbled under the first rains. “These projects were meant to protect lives and property, but instead became vehicles for personal gain,” a Sandiganbayan source told reporters, highlighting how the malversation charges – carrying penalties of up to life imprisonment – stem from a P289.5-million dike fiasco in Oriental Mindoro and similar anomalies in Bulacan.
The pleas come amid a flurry of legal maneuvers: Just last week, the Office of the Ombudsman slapped six-month preventive suspensions on 12 DPWH Mimaropa officials in a parallel case, while arrest warrants fly for fugitives like former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, the alleged mastermind holed up abroad. Tolentino and his co-accused, released on bail ranging from P90,000 to P200,000 per count, maintained stoic silence post-arraignment, but their lawyers vowed a vigorous defense. “These are baseless accusations designed to tarnish reputations; the evidence will vindicate our clients,” declared Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, representing several defendants.
The hearing, presided over by Associate Justice Rafael Lagos, was a packed affair – family members, anti-graft advocates, and media crammed the courtroom as the clerk read the charges. Outside, a small vigil of flood victims from Bulacan held placards reading “Justice Delayed is Lives Lost,” their presence a poignant reminder of the scandal’s human toll: Communities left defenseless against typhoons like Uwan, with billions allegedly pocketed while rivers raged unchecked.
This arraignment isn’t isolated; it’s the tip of a graft iceberg that’s triggered nationwide protests, including the Trillion Peso March, and prompted President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to vow “no sacred cows” in the purge. The Sandiganbayan has scheduled pre-trial conferences for January, with prosecutors hinting at whistleblower testimonies that could implicate higher-ups. For the nine executives – once stewards of public works – the not guilty pleas ring like a opening bell in a fight that could redefine accountability in Philippine infrastructure.
As the gavel fell and the accused filed out, one thing was clear: In the flood of corruption allegations, this trial could either drain the swamp or drown more dreams. With the nation watching, the Sandiganbayan’s scales tip toward a reckoning that’s long overdue.