FORMER Public Works Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan is facing a plunder complaint in connection with alleged irregularities in government-funded flood control projects, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said on Monday.
Justice spokesperson Raphael Niccolo L. Martinez said Mr. Bonoan, who recently returned to the Philippines from the United States, is a co-respondent with Senator Jose “Jinggoy” P. Estrada in the case filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). The complaint alleges the acquisition of ill-gotten wealth exceeding P50 million.
No preliminary investigation has so far been scheduled, and no subpoena has been issued, said Mr. Martinez. “The complaint is not localized to a single project or area. It involves several transactions connected to flood control projects,” he added.
The case forms part of a wider probe into the P545.6-billion flood mitigation budget allocated between 2022 and 2025. Testimonies from former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials — some of whom are now state witnesses — alleged kickbacks reaching 25% to 40% of project costs.
Earlier, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) referred multiple cases involving alleged ghost projects in Bulacan to the Office of the Ombudsman. The ICI recommended that Mr. Bonoan, along with former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto M. Bernardo (now a state witness) and the late Maria Catalina C. Cabral, face administrative charges for grave misconduct and gross dishonesty. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking


