Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan attends the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing  on the alleged anomalous flood control projects in the country at the Senate plenary hall in Pasay City on September 23, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

SENATE PROBE- FLOOD CONTROL ANOMALIES

Andrea Taguines

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176222385734420250923-senate-probe-flood-control-bonoan-JC3457.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan attends the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing  on the alleged anomalous flood control projects in the country at the Senate plenary hall in Pasay City on September 23, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA<strong> (2nd UPDATE) </strong>— The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) said Tuesday it will ask the Office of the Ombudsman to assess the potential violations of former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan over an alleged ghost project worth P72.3 million in Plaridel, Bulacan.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/2/ex-dpwh-chief-bonoan-confirms-15-non-existent-projects-1855">Ex-DPWH chief Bonoan confirms 15 ‘non-existent’ projects</a></div><p>ICI chairperson Andres Reyes said Bonoan and former Undersecretary Cathy Cabral would be probed for possible violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials.</p><p>Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said his office will proceed with fact-finding on the ICI’s referral.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>BASIS </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Citing a report endorsed by the Commission on Audit (COA), the ICI said the P72.3 million riverbank protection structure at Bagong Silang (Purok 4), Plaridel, Bulacan, was not constructed at the location specified in the Approved Bid Plans.</p><p>Instead, the structure was supposedly relocated to another site for still unknown reasons.</p><p>“The Commission observed that this deviation was not supported by sufficient documentary evidence to justify or authorize such relocation,” he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/31/manuel-bonoan-resigns-as-dpwh-secretary-1633">Bonoan out, Dizon in as new acting DPWH secretary amid flood control fiasco</a></div><p>The project was implemented by the notorious Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Topnotch, which is among the Top 15 flood control contractors earlier flagged by Malacañang.</p><p>“The results of the COA technical inspection, together with available records, clearly establish that the project was never constructed at the designated location in the Approved Bid Plans, thus, not implemented, despite the unwarranted release and full payment of the contract cost by the DPWH to Topnotch (Catalyst Builders Inc.),” said Reyes.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>OMBUDSMAN</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The ICI is now asking the Ombudsman to evaluate whether potential violations may exist on the part of former DPWH engineers Henry Alcantara, Brice Hernandez, and Topnotch President Eumir Villanueva, among others, under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Malversation and Falsification provisions under the Revised Penal Code, Presidential Decree No. 1759 and the Government Procurement Reform Act.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/9/dpwh-s-bgc-boys-lost-p950-million-in-casinos-lacson-1547">DPWH&#x27;s &#x27;BGC Boys&#x27; lost P950 million in casinos: Lacson</a></div><p>In its interim report, the ICI also urged the Ombudsman to assess whether Bonoan, as well as Undersecretaries Roberto Bernardo and Cabral, violated the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.</p><p>This is the third occasion of ICI referral to the Ombudsman.</p><p>Reyes emphasized that the ICI does not make categorial findings of guilt, and that responsibility for determining liability rests with the proper authorities.</p><p>Bonoan resigned in August amid the controversies hounding the department over anomalous flood control projects. He was replaced by Vince Dizon, who vowed to clean up the agency from corruption. <strong>— With reports from Kaxandra Salonga, ABS-CBN News</strong></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F8_quv7hVPI?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Sl1daHU6e7M?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The Independent Commission for Infrastructure said it will ask the Office of the Ombudsman to assess the potential violations of former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan over a questionable flood control project in Plaridel, Bulacan.</p>

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure said it will ask the Office of the Ombudsman to assess the potential violations of former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan over a questionable flood control project in Plaridel, Bulacan.

ICI to seek probe vs ex-DPWH chief Bonoan over flood project in Plaridel

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ICI to seek probe vs ex-DPWH chief Bonoan over flood project in Plaridel

Andrea Taguines,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 04, 2025 10:39 AM PHT

|

Updated Nov 04, 2025 12:23 PM PHT

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ICI

Bonoan

Manuel Bonoan

flood control

crime

corruption

Ombudsman

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