Jamaine Punzalan

Former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan attends the House Committee on Public Accounts, Public Works, and Good Government inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of various government flood control projects at the House of Representatives on September 2, 2025.
Officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), and several contractors were summoned to explain project awards and their implementation amid concerns over possible anomalies.
Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

FLOOD CONTROL PROBE

Adrian Ayalin

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177002290433220250902-congress-dpwh-manuel-bonoan-MT2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan attends the House Committee on Public Accounts, Public Works, and Good Government inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of various government flood control projects at the House of Representatives on September 2, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File" width="960"/>Former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan attends the House Committee on Public Accounts, Public Works, and Good Government inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of various government flood control projects at the House of Representatives on September 2, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</div>MANILA (UPDATED) -- Former Department of Public Works and Highways secretary Manuel Bonoan on Monday insisted that he has no plans of evading the plunder complaint he is facing before the Department of Justice.After attending the preliminary investigation on the plunder complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation in connection with alleged anomalous flood control projects, Bonoan was asked by the media if he plans to stay in the country.&quot;Yeah, yeah of course,&quot; Bonoan said.Bonoan is a co-respondent of Senator Jinggoy Estrada in the plunder complaint, along with the late DPWH undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral and former officials Roberto Bernardo, Gerard Opulencia, Henry Alcantara.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/20/castro-says-marcos-jr-believes-bonoan-will-tell-the-truth-1426">READ: Castro says Marcos Jr. believes Bonoan will tell the truth</a></div>Bernardo, Opulencia and Alcantara were recently declared as state witnesses by the DOJ. Bernardo had tagged Bonoan who supposedly got kickbacks for flood control projects.While Bonoan said he will continue to cooperate with the DOJ, he is also waiting for the schedule of his wife&#x27;s corneal transplant in the United States this month. <div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/19/bonoan-olaivar-ngu-deny-links-to-flood-control-project-insertions-1926">READ: Bonoan, Olaivar, Ngu deny links to flood control project insertions</a></div>&quot;She is still undergoing medication, she is supposed to be scheduled for corneal transplant in the middle of February,&quot; Bonoan said.Asked if he is confident that he will hurdle all allegations thrown against him, Bonoan said he has yet to look into the complaints. &quot;I have to study it actually muna, I will study it, it has something to do with the allocations for the  members of the Senate,&quot; Bonoan said. DOJ Spokesperson Atty. Polo Martinez stressed that Bonoan still enjoys his right to travel, even though he is still included in the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order issued by the department.&quot;The effect of the ILBO is any movement is closely monitored, as opposed to talagang walang oversight, but purely it is not as strong as a Hold Departure Order where you cannot leave the country,&quot; Martinez said. Estrada, as well as former Senator Bong Revilla, who also faces a separate plunder complaint, did not attend the preliminary investigation.Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon said Estrada and Revilla are not yet required to attend the first day of their preliminary investigation which is only for the receipt of their lawyers of the complaints and other documents.&quot;But when the time comes that the counter-affidavits will have to be submitted, then that&#x27;s the time that he will be obliged to appear,&quot; Fadullon said.

Former Public Works and Highways secretary Manuel Bonoan showed up at the Department of Justice on Monday for the preliminary investigation of the plunder complaint in connection with allegedly anomalous flood control projects.

Former Public Works and Highways secretary Manuel Bonoan showed up at the Department of Justice on Monday for the preliminary investigation of the plunder complaint in connection with allegedly anomalous flood control projects.

Ex-DPWH chief Bonoan attends DOJ investigation, assures continued cooperation

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Ex-DPWH chief Bonoan attends DOJ investigation, assures continued cooperation

Adrian Ayalin,

ABS-CBN News

Published February 02, 2026 03:12 PM PHT

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Updated February 02, 2026 05:02 PM PHT

Read More:

Bonoan

Estrada

plunder

DPWH

corruption

flood control

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