MANILA — A “night watchman” hired by a company linked to former lawmaker Zaldy Co testified before the Sandiganbayan that the sheet piles used in an alleged anomalous flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro were “cut” into half or by three before being driven into the ground.
Guillermo Gamus took the witness stand on Thursday as accused DPWH project engineer Felisardo Casuno’s witness. He was the former watchman tapped by Co’s Sunwest Corporation for nearly a year for its road dike project in Brgy. Tagumpay.
He said his duty from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m back in 2024 entailed watching over the materials left at the site including steel sheet piles.
He testified that the “long” sheet piles — all in the same length— were delivered by 10- and 16-wheeler trucks but were eventually cut on site.
“Idinadating po doon ang sheet pile mahaba po siya. Pero pagdating po doon, kina-cutting nila po. Pinagtatatlo or pinagdadalawa lang ang isang buong mahaba pong ‘yun,” Gamus replied upon the questioning of the prosecution.
However, he cannot provide the exact length of the steel sheet piles nor an estimate.
To provide a visual representation, Sandigabayan Sixth Division Chairperson Associate Justice Sarah Jane Fernandez used a table at the hearing as a point of reference.
“Tingnan mo ‘yang mesang ‘yan… sa tingin mo ba ‘yung steel sheet pile ay mas mahaba o mas maiksi diyan?” Fernandez asked.
“Meron pong ganyang kahahaba… tapos ‘yung iba po medyo mahaba pa po diyan, your honor,” Gamus replied.
Using a steel tape measure, the table was sized at 3.6 meters.
“Kaya sinasabi mo, ‘pag pinutol na hindi na magkakasing haba?” Associate Justice Kevin Narce Vivero later asked.
“Opo,” Gamus answered.
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An inspection led by former DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon earlier found that only 3 meters of steel sheet piles had been installed, despite the project’s detailed engineering design’s requirement of 12 meters.
The witness, upon the questioning of the prosecution, also said that the Sunwest workers did the cutting and burying of the sheet piles but Casuno was not there during the activity.
“Sabi niyo sa Question 20 [sa judicial affidavit], sa oras ng pagpuputol at pagbabaon ng Sunwest, wala si Engr. Casuno. Tama po?”
“Tama po,” Gamus answered.
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Asked whether he knew Casuno, Gamus said he once saw him at the site during his duty hours.
The prosecution asked Gamus to point Casuno who was seated at the gallery among the accused and positively identified him.
In his previous motion for reconsideration seeking bail, Casuno had argued that he signed inspection reports after a visual verification of the steel sheet piles embedded at the project site.
Casuno’s lawyer Dustin Jay Condez moved for the cancellation of the next hearing on September 22 over issues on witness presentation which the court granted.
However, his motion for a replacement date was denied.
The next hearing is scheduled on September 24.
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