Jamaine Punzalan

Former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan arrives in a wheelchair at the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City on June 2, 2026, for his arraignment on graft charges involving allegedly anomalous flood control projects before the court’s Second Division. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

FLOOD CONTROL- Estrada/ Bonoan

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/17827161279801782716124944.jpeg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan arrives in a wheelchair at the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City on June 2, 2026, for his arraignment on graft charges involving allegedly anomalous flood control projects before the court’s Second Division. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — The Office of the Ombudsman said Monday it would ask the court to discharge former public works secretary Manuel Bonoan from flood control cases to allow him to serve as a state witness.  </p><p>&quot;We already have a signed agreement for the cooperation of former secretary Manuel Bonoan to be a state witness, to be a cooperating witness,&quot; Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said. &quot;We will ask the court to discharge him as a respondent so he can testify for us.&quot; </p><p>&quot;The knowledge that he has about the whole institution is something very important to us, to be able to prove many cases,&quot; he added.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F3975073536120676%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>Bonoan was arrested on June 1 for a non-bailable plunder case in which <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/4/jinggoy-estrada-refuses-to-enter-plea-for-graft-over-flood-control-mess-1951">Sen. Jinggoy Estrada </a>is a co-accused. They are also facing a separate graft case.  </p><p>The Sandiganbayan later approved Bonoan’s motion for <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/3/ex-dpwh-chief-bonoan-remains-hospitalized-under-observation-1102">hospital arrest</a>, citing humanitarian grounds due to his advanced age and life-threatening medical conditions.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/4/ex-dpwh-chief-bonoan-skips-arraignment-due-to-medical-reasons-cidg-1406">Ex-DPWH chief Bonoan skips arraignment due to medical reasons—CIDG </a></div><p>The cases stemmed from alleged budget insertions and kickback schemes involving P573-million flood control projects.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/19/bonoan-attends-senate-hearing-amid-claim-he-gave-wrong-flood-projects-coordinates-1259">&#x27;Wrong&#x27; coordinates? Ex-DPWH chief Bonoan defends flood control data submitted to Marcos </a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/19/dpwh-chief-admits-existence-of-ghost-flood-control-projects-vows-probe-1233">DPWH chief admits existence of &#x27;ghost&#x27; flood control projects, vows probe </a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/18/philippines-has-no-flood-control-master-plan-dizon-1555">Philippines has no flood control master plan: Dizon </a></div><div><em><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/mhSx4o8jnfM?&amp;pp=0gcJCUELAYcqIYzv&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></em><br/></div><div><em><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/I4bBoCxZQWM?&amp;t=14s&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/b-qZbVsIzz8?&amp;t=33s&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></em><br/></div>

<p>Former public works secretary Manuel Bonoan will be discharged from cases and tapped as a state witness in the flood control controversy, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said Monday.</p>

Former public works secretary Manuel Bonoan will be discharged from cases and tapped as a state witness in the flood control controversy, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said Monday.

Ex-DPWH chief Bonoan eyed as state witness — Ombudsman

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Ex-DPWH chief Bonoan eyed as state witness — Ombudsman

ABS-CBN News

Published June 29, 2026 04:04 PM PHT

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Updated June 29, 2026 04:46 PM PHT

Read More:

corruption

flood control

baha

plunder

graft

Ombudsman

Manuel Bonoan

DPWH

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