MANILA — The Sandiganbayan raffled to three of its divisions the criminal charges filed against former lawmaker Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co over alleged irregularities in a PHP289-million flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.

One graft case, docketed as SB-25-CRM-0039, involving Co, several Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials, and members of the Sunwest Corp. board, was raffled to the 5th Division headed by Associate Justice Zaldy Trespeses.

A separate malversation charge against Co and several others (SB-25-CRM-0041) was raffled to the 6th Division, chaired by Associate Justice Sarah Jane Fernandez.

The other graft case, SB-25-CRM-0040, filed solely against Co for allegedly receiving “unwarranted financial or pecuniary benefits,” went to the 7th Division under Associate Justice Lorifel Lacap Pahimna.

The Office of the Ombudsman earlier requested the urgent raffle to fast-track the processing of the criminal charges linked to the allegedly anomalous flood control projects.

Ombudsman Jesus Remulla, meanwhile, said Co could no longer separate himself from the actions of companies historically associated with him, including Sunwest.

“We always understand companies as separate entities than people, but if it is used as a device to escape liability, then the court will step in and say that they can be one and the same person. That has been the result on many criminal enterprises, but it cannot happen anymore. I think the time is right for us to pierce the veil of corporate fiction and not allow their use as unlawful devices,” Remulla said in a press briefing.

He added he is inclined to believe assertions that certain DPWH undersecretaries acted in their personal interests by name-dropping the President in pushing for insertions approved by Congress. (PNA)