Dennis Gaviola

Article (news)

Kaxandra Salonga

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — The camp of <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/1/jinggoy-estrada-detained-in-payatas-jail-after-surrender-for-plunder-case-2048">Sen. Jinggoy Estrada</a> on Tuesday opposed the prosecution’s bid to drop former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan’s graft charge over an alleged flood control kickback scheme.</p><p>During a hearing before the Sandiganbayan Second Division, the anti-graft court disclosed that Estrada’s lawyers had filed their opposition a day earlier to the Office of the Ombudsman’s motion seeking to amend the criminal information and exclude Bonoan from the case.</p><p>The prosecution said Bonoan would instead be used as a cooperative witness not only against Estrada but also in other flood control cases under investigation by the Ombudsman.</p><p>The court, chaired by Presiding Justice Geraldine Econg, questioned the legal basis for excluding Bonoan after he had already been charged.</p><p>The prosecution argued that Bonoan’s exclusion is governed by Rule 110, Section 14 of the Rules of Court which it said allowed an accused to be excluded from a criminal information through a formal amendment.</p><p>Atty. Laurence Arroyo, Estrada’s counsel, argued that the proposed amendment will prejudice the rights of the senator, who was already arraigned.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/29/ex-dpwh-chief-bonoan-eyed-as-state-witness-ombudsman-1604">Ex-DPWH chief Bonoan eyed as state witness — Ombudsman</a></div><p>He added that the amendment would fundamentally change the prosecution’s theory of the case.</p><p>“The accused [Estrada] has been arraigned and we take the position that the prosecution proposes a substantial amendment. Their amendment will alter the availability of defenses and evidence under the original information,” Arroyo told the court.</p><p>He also stressed that the original information alleged that Estrada and Bonoan conspired in committing the offense.</p><p>“The information states that Bonoan and Estrada conspired with each other in the crime. It will be converted into a charge where the only defendant left is Estrada. It alters… the facts and availability of defenses,” he said.</p><p>The prosecution insisted Bonoan was “complicit” in the alleged transactions at a certain point but argued that excluding him as an accused would not affect the allegations against Estrada, which still involve the same flood control projects, alleged budget insertions and kickback commitments.</p><p>Presiding Justice Econg said the bid to amend the information has already been submitted for resolution.</p><p>Meanwhile, Bonoan’s counsel said the former DPWH Secretary still experiences erratic heart rates.</p><p>Bonoan personally appeared during the hearing on a wheelchair.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/9/ex-dpwh-chief-bonoan-back-at-pnp-hospital-for-continued-treatment-1515">Ex-DPWH chief Bonoan back at PNP hospital for continued treatment</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="960" height="540" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5An_1qkIeeI?si=40oaRB_JKNkVC6_4" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>The camp of <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/1/jinggoy-estrada-detained-in-payatas-jail-after-surrender-for-plunder-case-2048">Sen. Jinggoy Estrada</a> on Tuesday opposed the prosecution’s bid to drop former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan’s graft charge over an alleged flood control kickback scheme.</p>

The camp of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada on Tuesday opposed the prosecution’s bid to drop former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan’s graft charge over an alleged flood control kickback scheme.

Estrada’s camp opposes bid to drop Bonoan from graft charge over flood control kickback scheme

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Estrada’s camp opposes bid to drop Bonoan from graft charge over flood control kickback scheme

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 14, 2026 06:53 PM PHT

Read More:

DPWH

flood control

kickback

Jinggoy Estrada

Manuel Bonoan

graft

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