Former Department of Public Works and Highways-4B maintenance division chief Juliet Calvo facing graft charges, pleaded not guilty during her arraignment at the 2nd Division of the Sandiganbayan on Tuesday morning.

RH Val Gonzales reports that the arraignment proceeded after eight of her co-accused had already undergone their own arraignment sessions. The group of officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) includes:

• Gerald A. Pacanan, DPWH Mimaropa Regional Director

• Gene Ryan Alurin Altea, Assistant Regional Director (currently Director, DPWH Bureau of Maintenance)

• Ruben delos Santos Santos Jr., Assistant Regional Director

• Dominic Gregorio Serrano, Chief, DPWH Mimaropa Construction Division

• Dennis Abagon, OIC-Chief, Quality Assurance and Hydrology Division, BAC regular member

• Engr. Montrexis Tamayo, OIC, DPWH Mimaropa Planning and Design Division

• Felisardo Sevare Casuno, Project Engineer III

After the arraignment, Calvo was returned to the female dormitory of Quezon City Jail under tight supervision by Bureau of Jail Management personnel. She is scheduled for another arraignment at 1:00 p.m. for a separate malversation case.

Earlier this morning, seven male DPWH Mimaropa officials arrived at the Sandiganbayan 6th Division for their arraignment. They face charges of malversation of public funds through falsified documents linked to allegedly anomalous flood control projects worth ₱285 million in Oriental Mindoro.

No bail was granted, keeping all nine accused in detention. One co-accused, former congressman Zaldy Co remains at large.

The 5th Division of the Sandiganbayan previously set the pre-trial hearings for January 19 and January 26.