Land Transportation Office (LTO) Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao on Tuesday revealed findings that former congressman Zaldy Co’s construction firm, Sunwest Incorporated, secured more than P2 billion worth of questionable infrastructure projects in 2021.

In a press conference at the LTO main office in Quezon City, Lacanilao said the projects included two three-storey buildings, each costing over P499 million, and a Central Command Center valued at P946 million. All three were awarded to Sunwest Incorporated on 24 February 2021.

According to Lacanilao, the first building beside the LTO main office was intended to serve as an Information Technology (IT) Hub, while the second was planned to be used for road safety training and seminars. The third facility — a P946-million Central Command Center — was supposed to house advanced monitoring and operational systems on the third floor of the LTO main building.

“May mga gamit. Pero kulang-kulang. (Some) are defective,” Lacanilao said, noting that he discovered the anomalies after ordering an internal audit shortly after assuming office a few weeks ago.

The audit uncovered a Commission on Audit (COA) notice stating that the three projects had remained “not utilized”, prompting Lacanilao to conduct a deeper investigation.

He added that the LTO’s findings would be forwarded to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), which was formed and tasked by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to probe anomalous infrastructure projects.

Lacanilao emphasized that the LTO will cooperate fully with the ICI to ensure transparency and accountability in the agency’s infrastructure undertakings.