Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon on Wednesday expressed confidence in the prosecution’s evidence against former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co and former DPWH Mimaropa officials over an allegedly anomalous flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

Dizon, who testified before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division in the graft trial, cited his inspection of the project on 9 September 2025, during which deficiencies were found in the materials used for the structure.

“Personally I saw when I went there that there were some areas that eroded…when the foundation is substandard, that is really what would happen. For me, the evidence is clear,” Dizon told reporters in an ambush interview.

The case involves a P289.5-million road dike project along the Mag-Asawang Tubig River. Inspections found steel sheet piles measuring only about three meters, far short of the 12 meters required under the project specifications.

Dizon said the findings made officials “sure that the project of Sunwest had substandard foundation.”

Sunwest Inc., the project contractor, was co-founded by Co. The prosecution has alleged that Co remained a beneficial owner of the company despite his divestment, an allegation his camp has disputed.

Co and other respondents face graft charges over the project, including alleged violations of Sections 3(e) and 3(h) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Section 3(h) prohibits public officials from having certain direct or indirect financial interests in government transactions in which they intervene or are legally barred from holding an interest.

Dizon said cases against public officials and contractors involved in alleged irregularities were important to recover public funds lost through anomalous transactions.

Anomalous projects cannot simply be rectified

Dizon also rejected arguments that Sunwest should have been given an opportunity to rectify the defects.

He acknowledged that contractors are normally allowed under certain circumstances to correct defects in government projects, but said the Naujan project could not be treated as an ordinary case because of the alleged irregularities surrounding it.

“It’s not under normal circumstance because there are allegations of irregularities in the project, Governor [Humerlito]Dolor told me personally and there were many news reports at that time,” Dizon said.

He added that correcting the sheet piles would have required tearing down the structure.

“It’s not possible for them to replace all the sheet piles that were three meters to make it 12, they will need to demolish the structure that they made,” he said.

“The defense of the lawyer of Sunwest and the lawyers of the respondents are not an excuse because it is obvious that they haphazardly made the project,” he added.

Wednesday marked Dizon’s second appearance as a witness in cases involving the Naujan project.

He previously testified before the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division in January during bail proceedings in the separate malversation case against Co and former DPWH officials.

Former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo has also testified as a prosecution witness in the malversation case before the Sixth Division.