MANILA – An initial 135 bank accounts and 27 insurance policies of 26 former and active Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) personnel, and private contractors involved in alleged anomalous government flood control projects in Bulacan have been frozen effective Tuesday.
Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Secretariat Executive Director Matthew David, in a briefing at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) office in Manila, said the Court of Appeals granted earlier in the day the freeze order petition on Monday.
“The assets subject to the freeze order are linked to persons and entities currently under investigation by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee for suspected anomalies in government flood control projects,” he said.
The freeze order is in effect for at least 30 days and the banks are given 24 hours to inform AMLC about the remaining value in the accounts, he said.
The freeze order covers the bank accounts of the following, as requested by the DPWH "to prevent the disposal of assets and to ensure that government efforts to combat corruption and money laundering are not thwarted":
Henry Alcantara, former OIC - Assistant Regional Director;
Brice Ericson Hernandez, former OIC - District Engineer;
Jaypee Mendoza, former OIC - Assistant District Engineer;
John Michael Ramos, chief, Construction Section
Ernesto Galang, Planning and Design Section;
Lorenzo Pagtalunan, OIC-chief, Maintenance Section;
Norberto Santos, Quality Assurance and Hydrology Section;
Jaime Hernandez, Maintenance Section;
Floralyn Simbulan, Administrative Section;
Juanito Mendoza, Finance Section;
Roberto Roque, Budget Unit;
Benedict Matawaran, Procurement Unit;
Christina Mae Pineda, Cashier II;
Paul Jayson Duya, Project Engineer;
Merg Jaron Laus, Project Engineer;
Lemuel Ephraim Roque, Project Engineer;
Arjay Domasig, Project Engineer;
John Carlo Rivera, Project Engineer;
John Benex Francisco, Project Engineer;
Jolo Mari Tayao, Project Engineer II;
Ma. Roma Angeline Rimando, St. Timothy Construction Corporation;
Cezarah Rowena Discaya, St. Timothy Construction Corporation;
Pacifico Discaya St. Timothy Construction Corporation;
Mark Allan Arevalo, General Manager, Wawao Builders;
Sally Santos, Owner/Manager, SYMS Construction Trading;
Robert Imperio, Owner/Manager, IM Construction Corporation.
David said the freeze order was made “only to prove that these accounts or insurance policies or other properties are related to the unlawful activity."
“We have yet to file later a case for civil forfeiture against these assets, among other assets that we will discover. And also a separate money laundering case involving all those who are involved, as identified by (DPWH) Secretary (Vince) Dizon and the group, in a money laundering scheme and corruption case,” he said.
The Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act will be utilized since the law recognizes as crimes any financial account activities such as deposits and withdrawal of funds involved in disputed transactions, BSP general counsel Roberto Figueroa said during the same briefing.
“That’s the beauty of this new law. We will be able to inquire into these accounts event without the need of a court order,” Figueroa said.
Milestone
During the same briefing, Dizon said the development is a milestone in the government’s bid to uncover the anomalies and file cases against the perpetrators.
Citing the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., he said those involved in the anomalies should be jailed and the money they took must be returned to government coffers.
“Hindi pa tapos ang laban. Initial steps pa lang ito pero napakalaking bagay po nito ito dahil makakampante po ang ating mga kababayan na sisimulan na ho natin ang proseso na maibalik ang kanilang pera na ninakaw ng mga taong ito (The fight is not yet done. These are just the initial steps, but an important one because it will make our countrymen confident that we will start the process to bring back the money stolen by these individuals),” Dizon said. (With a report from Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)