The project engineer in the allegedly substandard road dike project in Oriental Mindoro on Tuesday told the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division that he was not aware that contractor Sunwest was conducting construction work at night.
Felisardo Casuno, who used to be with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region IV-B office, made this known during the continuation of his testimony to defend himself before the court where he faces a charge of malversation through falsification of public documents, with former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co as co-accused.
Sunwest, which was co-founded by Co, undertook this project, which DPWH found to have alleged deficiencies.
The project in Naujan town was supposed to have 12-meter-long steel sheet piles (SSPs), but DPWH chief Vince Dizon said after an inspection that the SSPs were only three meters long.
Associate Justice Kevin Vivero asked if Sunwest ‘unilaterally decided’ to just use three-meter SSPs for the project.
In response, Casuno said that, as the contractor, Sunwest has control of the equipment and personnel.
‘Oftentimes, they are piling it at night,’ Casuno further said in response to the clarificatory question.
However, he clarified that he only learned of it during the testimony of one of the witnesses in this case.
During his testimony in January, prosecution witness village chairman Nestor Alegria Asi, said he personally observed Sunwest laborers driving steel sheet piles at the construction site, often starting at around 7 p.m. Asi also testified that acetylene torches were used to cut the SSPs.
Casuno said he has not received any report that such activities were being conducted at night.
Meanwhile, he maintained that he personally saw four 12-meter SSPs being piled on the ground.
Furthermore, he submitted a picture of an SSP stockpile as evidence in court.
He told the court that the stockpiled SSPs are compliant with the 12-meter requirement, which he said he measured himself.
Casuno’s testimony began on Oct. 1.