The co-accused of former congressman Zaldy Co pleaded not guilty to malversation charges over an allegedly anomalous P77-million flood control project in Balagtas, Bulacan.

The defendants are former officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Bulacan First District Engineering Office: Brice Ericson Hernandez, Jaypee Mendoza, Arjay Domasig, Niño Morales, Juanito Mendoza, Floralyn Simbulan and Christina Mae Pineda.

All the defendants except Morales and Simbulan were also implicated in the pending malversation case against former Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. over a separate P92.8-million flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.

Before the arraignment, Morales’ counsel informed the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division that the defense had submitted a pleading on 1 September seeking permission to file a motion for reconsideration of the Office of the Ombudsman’s resolution.

A member of the anti-graft court and state prosecutors, however, agreed that the proposed motion had become moot after the court found probable cause to proceed with the trial.

While the former DPWH officials were arraigned, Co and his staff members John Paul Estrada and Mark Tecsay remained at large.

The case involved a riverbank protection structure that was supposed to be built along the Balagtas River in Purok 4, Barangay San Juan.

The contract was awarded to SYMS Construction Trading, the same company linked to the flood control project involved in Revilla’s case.

The company had been identified as allegedly lending its contractor’s license to the DPWH in exchange for a commission.

State prosecutors said documents showed that the Balagtas project had been completed, but investigators found no structure at the project site.

“The project supposedly started last February 24, 2025 and was declared to be 100 percent accomplished on May 2, 2025. However, upon inspection it was non-existent,” the Ombudsman’s resolution read.

Co and his co-accused were also charged with graft for allegedly violating Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act by causing undue injury to the government.

The graft case was raffled to the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division.