Pasay city: An engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), who was among the accused in an alleged anomalous flood control project in Oriental Mindoro, has been arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) reported the arrest on Wednesday.

According to Philippines News Agency, the CIDG identified the accused as DPWH Mimaropa (4B) Planning and Design Division officer-in-charge Montrexis Tamayo. He was detained shortly after his arrival via an Emirates Airline flight on Tuesday afternoon. The arresting personnel approached Tamayo for verification using an identification card and informed him of the nature of the warrants, executing the arrest without incident.

Tamayo was reportedly in Jordan when the arrest warrant was issued against former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co and at least 14 other officials of Sunwest construction firm and the DPWH. The charges, including graft and malversation cases, were filed by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II, CIDG director, stated that Tamayo had already been brought to the Sandiganbayan for the return of the warrant of arrest and commitment to the designated jail facility. The arrest of Tamayo brought the number of accused in the flood control-related charges under government custody to nine.

All the female accused are expected to be detained at Camp Karingal in Quezon City, while a Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-run detention facility in Payatas, Quezon City, is designated for the male accused.

Tamayo's arrest occurred a day after the CIDG handed over to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure 95 boxes of case folders, investigation reports, and pertinent documents related to 28 alleged ghost flood control and related projects across seven regions, which are under investigation by the ICI pursuant to Executive Order 94.