By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Senator Panfilo Lacson believes the decision of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan to become a state witness could trigger a major breakthrough in the government’s investigation into the alleged multibillion-peso flood control anomaly.
Speaking on Monday, Lacson said those who had close dealings with Bonoan should now be deeply concerned following the announcement by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla that the former DPWH chief has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.
“With this new development, those who had direct dealings with him must be quaking in their boots,” Lacson said.
Lacson, who previously chaired the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, said Bonoan possesses firsthand knowledge of how infrastructure projects were allegedly managed, including the controversial allocation of flood control funds.
“He certainly has a lot to reveal—from allocables to anomalous flood control and other defective infrastructure projects, including but not limited to the alleged P500-million payoff in exchange for his confirmation by the Commission on Appointments as DPWH secretary in November 2022,” Lacson said.
The senator’s remarks came after the Ombudsman disclosed that prosecutors had already filed a motion before the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division seeking Bonoan’s discharge from the plunder case so he could testify as a state witness.
According to Remulla, Bonoan’s cooperation could significantly strengthen the government’s anti-corruption drive because of his extensive institutional knowledge within the DPWH.
“The knowledge that he has about the whole institution is something very important to us to be able to prove many cases,” the Ombudsman said.
Bonoan is currently facing plunder charges alongside Sen. Jinggoy Estrada in connection with the alleged misuse of public funds tied to infrastructure projects.
While welcoming Bonoan’s cooperation, Lacson stressed that the government should not stop at prosecuting those involved but must also recover public funds allegedly lost through anomalous projects.
“At the very least, the amount must be based on the earlier testimonies of resource persons before the Blue Ribbon Committee,” he said.
Lacson recalled testimony previously presented before the Senate committee alleging that Bonoan had annual discretionary allocations amounting to P5 billion during the 2023, 2024, and 2025 budget cycles.
He cited earlier testimony by former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, who alleged before the Blue Ribbon Committee that a 15-percent commission was collected from those allocations and later shared among certain officials. Those allegations remain subject to judicial proceedings and have yet to be tested in court.
With Bonoan poised to testify for the prosecution, investigators are expected to pursue additional cases against other personalities who may have participated in the alleged corruption scheme.
His testimony is seen as a potentially decisive development in what could become one of the government’s most significant anti-graft prosecutions involving public infrastructure spending in recent years.
ia/xf
