Dizon next witness in Zaldy Co graft trial

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon will be the next witness in the graft trial of former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co and former officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Mimaropa regional office, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division said Wednesday.

The case involves a P289-million road dike project in Oriental Mindoro that began construction in February 2023 and was later flagged for allegedly substandard work.

Oriental Mindoro Gov. Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor earlier testified that the project failed to meet the specifications in its original design. He said the cement used for the dike was brittle and the installed sheet piles measured only three meters, compared with the 12 meters required under the contract.

Dizon was appointed DPWH secretary in 2025 following the resignation of Manuel Bonoan amid the multibillion-peso flood control controversy.

The Office of the Ombudsman has also expressed its intention to present Bonoan as a key witness in its investigation of alleged irregularities involving infrastructure projects implemented during his tenure from 2022 to 2025.