Jamaine Punzalan

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

Kaxandra Salonga

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/178582452729720250923-senate-probe-flood-control-bonoan-JC3450.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><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><p>MANILA — Former public works secretary Manuel Bonoan is set to testify before the Sandiganbayan Third Division on Aug. 12 as one of the prosecution’s final witnesses in the malversation case against former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., despite the court’s earlier<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/3/sandigan-denies-bid-to-drop-bonoan-graft-raps-1300"> denial of the prosecution’s bid to drop Bonoan from a separate graft case.</a></p><p>The prosecution previously sought to exclude Bonoan from the charge sheet in the graft case involving Sen. Jinggoy Estrada to use him as a<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/29/ex-dpwh-chief-bonoan-eyed-as-state-witness-ombudsman-1604"> state witness in flood control-related cases</a>, including the grand case involving allegations to defraud the national treasury against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>BONOAN’S LUMPSUM ALLOCATIONS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>On Tuesday, former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo returned to the witness stand in Revilla’s malversation case.</p><p>Bernardo told the court that Bonoan had access to lump-sum allocations in the DPWH budget, which he described as funds over which Bonoan had discretion to set aside for legislators who requested projects from him.</p><p>He said legislators who did not ask for allocations would not receive any, while those who requested projects would be given allocations from the budget.</p><p>Bernardo also reiterated his testimony that Revilla approached him regarding projects and that, when he asked Revilla about his expected commitment, the senator told him it would be 25 percent.</p><p>Bernardo claimed he did not earn from the transaction material to the Pandi, Bulacan case. However, he said he had earned from transactions involving other lawmakers.</p><p>Bernardo said he had “served” senators, including Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Sen. Francis Escudero, former senator and Makati Mayor Nancy Binay, as stated in his judicial affidavit. The lawmakers have denied the allegations. </p><p>When Associate Justice Ronald Moreno asked about his arrangement with Bonoan, Bernardo said he would give 75 percent to Bonoan, who would reportedly give 25 percent to the late former DPWH Undersecretary Catalina Cabral, leaving Bernardo with the remaining 25 percent.</p><p>He said the arrangement continued until 2025.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/22/alcantara-testifies-p90-m-delivered-to-bernardo-to-be-given-to-revilla-1801">Alcantara testifies: P90-M delivered to Bernardo to be given to Revilla </a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/31/sandiganbayan-grants-revilla-s-bail-petition-for-malversation-1503">Revilla posts P1-million bail for malversation case</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>PAY FOR LOSING BIDDERS </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Bernardo also described an alleged practice involving losing bidders in government project procurements. </p><p>He said contractors who were not expected to win could still participate in bidding because they received “sahod,” or payments, from the contractor “chosen to win” by legislators. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/1/ombudsman-revilla-bail-an-eye-opener-to-fight-harder-in-war-vs-corruption-1204">Ombudsman: Revilla bail an &#x27;eye opener&#x27; to fight harder in war vs corruption </a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/4/bong-revilla-bail-sandiganbayan-judges-ombudsman-1035">Sandiganbayan justices stand by bail ruling in Revilla’s malversation case despite criticism </a></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/tKfbNZ-i8Cg?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Former DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan is set to testify before the Sandiganbayan Third Division on Aug. 12 as one of the prosecution’s final witnesses in the malversation case against former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. </p>

Former DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan is set to testify before the Sandiganbayan Third Division on Aug. 12 as one of the prosecution’s final witnesses in the malversation case against former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.

Bonoan to testify in Revilla’s malversation trial over ‘ghost’ Bulacan flood control

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Bonoan to testify in Revilla’s malversation trial over ‘ghost’ Bulacan flood control

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 04, 2026 02:25 PM PHT

Read More:

Sandiganbayan

Revilla

bail

Ombudsman

flood contorl

malversation

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