Authorities tried to serve arrest warrants against three Sunwest Corporation executives at a Pasay City hotel Friday, according to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
In an interview with reporters after the operation, CIDG National Capital Region (NCR) Director Lt. Col. John Guiagui identified the targets as Sunwest Board of Directors members Consuelo Aldon, Noel Cao and Anthony Ngo.
‘Based on the information that we received yesterday, dito itinago and dito sila nag-cover as one of the employees,’ Guiagui said.
(Based on the information that we received yesterday, they were hiding here and posing as employees.)
‘Unfortunately, wala sila dito. But, again, hindi dito nagtatapos yung ating paghahanap.’ he noted.
(Unfortunately, they’re not here. But, again, our search does not end here.)
According to the CIDG NCR chief, over 100 police and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) personnel were deployed for the attempt to serve the warrant.
Asked whether the number of personnel deployed was justified, Guiagui maintained, ‘It’s not overkill. Unang-una, ilan ito (Floors of the hotel)? Ten floors. So, we have to do it in an orderly manner and fast. Inisa-isa namin yun, yung kitchen at yung housekeeping. Inisa-isa namin lahat ng personnel doon.’
(It’s not overkill. How many floors does the hotel have? Ten floors. So, we have to do it in an orderly manner and fast. We’re checking them one by one, the kitchen, the housekeeping. We checked all the personnel one by one.)
He then addressed the at-large suspects’ ‘Sumuko na lang kayo because magkapagtago man kayo ng isa o dalawang araw, but, in the long run, mahahanap at mahahanap kayo.’
(Just surrender because you may be able to hide for a day or two, but, in the long run, we will find you.)
‘Yung mga lahat na nagkakandong, nagtatago sa mga fugitives na ito, it’s much better you cooperate with the law enforcers kasi, ‘pag nakuha namin yan within sa iyong control, kakasuhan ka namin,’ he added.
(To all who may be harboring them, hiding these fugitives, it’s much better that you cooperate with the law enforcers because, when we get them in your control, we will file a case against you.)
Aldon, Cao and Ngo are among 16 accused of graft and malversation in connection with an allegedly anomalous P289.5-million road dike project in Oriental Mindoro, including former House appropriations chair and resigned Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy ‘Zaldy’ Co.
Sunwest is a construction firm linked to Co.
The other Sunwest officials accused are its president Aderma Alcazar and its treasurer Cesar Buenaventura, whose last known locations are in New Zealand and the United States, according to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced the issuance of the arrest warrants against the 16 accused last Nov. 21.
Co has since denied the accusations against him and instead pointed to Marcos as the mastermind behind the alleged corruption.
Nine of the 16 accused have already been taken into government custody earlier this week to face the cases before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan.