THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will file charges against a construction firm owned by former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co and his brother over the collapse of a seawall in Navotas City during the onslaught of Super Typhoon Uwan. Hi-Tone Construction & Development Corp. (Hi-Tone) is among the top 15 construction companies that cornered 20 percent of the 9,885 flood control projects implemented by the Marcos administration from July 2022 to May 2025. It was founded by Co and his brother Christopher. Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said Tuesday that DPWH will take legal action against the owners of Hi-Tone and its co-owners, not only to recover government funds but also to ensure accountability. “What we will do is to file charges against Hi-Tone Construction because it not only destroyed [the project]; until now, after several months, it has not had it repaired,” Dizon said after personally inspecting the damaged dike together with Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco and brother Mayor John Rey. “We will file charges against Hi-Tone Construction not only to recover the [government] money spent but also to hold the contractor liable on the damaged portion of the dike in Navotas,” he added. Weeks after it was turned over, parts of the seawall collapsed on Sunday night, Nov. 9, during the onslaught of Uwan, triggering severe flooding in nearby villages. More than 6,000 residents were forced to evacuate as seawater rushed inland, submerging homes in Barangay Bagumbayan South, where floodwaters reportedly reached chest-high levels. The DPWH is also running after the assets of Hi-Tone and Misibis Aviation Development Corp., a company also owned by Co. Records show that Hi-Tone owns a Cessna 414 Chancellor worth $700,000; an Agusta A109E, $6.9 million; and a PA 31-350 Chieftain, $340,000 or a total of $7.940 million. Misibis owns two Agustawestland AW1398 ($32 million), a Gulfstream 350 ($36 million), two Bell 407 ($6 million), and a Bell 206B3 ($650,000) for a total of $74.650 million. At the same time, Co is the founder of Sunwest, Inc., which is also on the list of the top 15 contractors earlier disclosed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The lawmaker had said that he had already divested from Sunwest and Hi-Tone. Sunwest has bagged 78 flood control projects worth more than P10 billion. Dizon said that Sunwest is the contractor of five out of seven substandard flood control projects in Mindoro Oriental.