The home, in which a Department of Public Works and Highways Mimaropa (DPWH 4B) official was arrested, is allegedly owned by an ‘Oriental Mindoro vice mayor,’ according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
DPWH 4B official Engr. Dennis Abagon was arrested at a house in Sikatuna Village, Quezon City, early Sunday morning, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) officer-in-charge Atty. Angelito Magno said in a press briefing in Camp Crame on Monday.
‘Reports were made that the house where he was arrested is allegedly owned by the vice mayor of Bansud, Oriental Mindoro. We are still verifying the authenticity of this information,’ Magno noted.
However, also at the briefing, DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla said, ‘We have determined that he is the owner of the property.’
Asked by the Inquirer in a text message to confirm whether he was referring to the ‘vice mayor of Bansud, Oriental Mindoro,’ Remulla answered in the affirmative.
‘We’re just determining what is the nature of his stay there. So, until we determine whether he was renting or he was being hidden, we don’t have a definitive statement as to the status of the investigation on him,’ the DILG chief added in the briefing.
Neither Magno nor Remulla identified the ‘vice mayor of Bansud, Oriental Mindoro’ who supposedly owned the Quezon City house in which Abagon was arrested. It was unclear whether they were referring to a past or incumbent official.
Further asked to confirm whether the vice mayor he was referring to was a male, Remulla only said, ‘I’ll get the information.’
Nonetheless, in a press briefing at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas later on Monday, the DILG chief said in Filipino, ‘If the vice mayor is proven to have harbored him and kept him, he will face charges for obstruction of justice.’
‘He is under investigation. He should be summoned by the CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) soon, anytime soon,’ he stressed. /jpv