Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

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

Article (news)

FLOOD CONTROL PROBE

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177217479175820260227050248_a9c7cecb9529dc866cbd319c1ed18e3a3430f516817c372161c29c87b1f59f28_cropped_processed_by_imagy.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">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</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Task Force Kasanag (TFK) founder John Chiong has filed a complaint before the Ombudsman against several incumbent and former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials over alleged bid-rigging in some infrastructure projects.</p><p>Chiong on Thursday afternoon filed the complaint against former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, Senior Undersecretary Emil Sadain, some officials of the bids and awards committee, as well as some officials of the agency’s Unified Project Management Office – Roads Management Cluster.</p><p>Also named in the complaints are a few China-backed infrastructure firms, which Chiong alleged have been favored to win the bidding for the said projects.</p><p>The complaint supposedly stemmed from an anonymous tip to Chiong, where the said officials “manipulated” five infrastructure bidding processes which include infrastructure projects in Marawi, Lanao del Norte, and Laguna.</p><p>“The invitation to bid posted in PhilGEPS reflected zero approved budget for the contract, in violation of transparency requirements as provided for under RA9184,” the complaint read.</p><p>Chiong told reporters that he wants the Ombudsman to probe the respondents for possible violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Government Procurement Reform Act.</p><p>“Based on the evidence, the bidding was questionable. Base sa ebidensya na pinresenta sa Ombudsman. Nag-favor sa tatlong malaking company... allegedly monopolized by these officers of DPWH central office. These are our evidence, more than 37 exhibits na na-preserve natin sa Office of the Ombudsman,” he said in a chance interview.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/18/vida-says-bonoan-s-us-travel-plan-needs-court-order-1617">Vida says Bonoan’s US travel plan needs court order</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>EVIDENCE</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>He said he has documentary evidence to support his allegations, some of which were sourced from the DPWH central office itself.</p><p>These China-backed companies, he alleged, repeatedly won the bidding for the infrastructure projects amounting to more than P2 billion.</p><p>Chiong said based on the evidence they have, the bidding was “questionable” and made the awarding process “favorable” to these companies.</p><p>The projects in question were not ghost projects, he said.</p><p>“Base sa ating ebidensya, monopolized talaga ang bidding diyan sa central office ng DPWH up to the present... ang pinag-uusapan dito ay ang pagpili ng contractor na kaduda-duda,” he said.</p><p>“It is up to the Ombudsman to determine kung talagang walang kaduda-duda ang ating mga ebidensya na ibinigay sa kanila. Ang amin lang, hindi kami titigil, ipa-file at ipa-file namin [basta] may ebidensya,” he said.</p><p>The projects in question supposedly underwent public bidding but the same firms always win the projects.</p><p>ABS-CBN News has sought the response of former DPWH chief Bonoan but he has yet to respond to us as of this story&#x27;s posting.</p><p>We have also reached out to the Office of the Ombudsman to confirm receipt of the complaint-affidavit, but it has also yet to respond to us.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/23/nbi-seeks-extension-to-add-respondents-evidence-in-plunder-cases-vs-estrada-bonoan-1845">NBI seeks extension to add respondents, evidence in plunder cases vs. Estrada, Bonoan</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QBBI9KJ_vXE?si=rmh8w-7SuO0qIQAa" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>The projects in question supposedly underwent public bidding but the same firms always win the projects.</p>

The projects in question supposedly underwent public bidding but the same firms always win the projects.

Group files complaint vs Bonoan, DPWH execs over alleged bid-rigging

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Group files complaint vs Bonoan, DPWH execs over alleged bid-rigging

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Feb 27, 2026 02:44 PM PHT

|

Updated Feb 27, 2026 02:46 PM PHT

Read More:

Lanao del Sur

Marawi

DPWH

Bonoan

Ombudsman

bid rigging

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