MANILA, Philippines — Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Manuel “Manny” Bonoan has been released from police custody after the Sandiganbayan ordered his discharge from detention, marking a major turn in the sprawling investigation into alleged irregularities in government flood-control projects.
Bonoan left the Philippine National Police General Hospital in Camp Crame, Quezon City, at around 10:35 a.m. on Friday, September 4, after the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region (CIDG-NCR) verified that there were no other warrants that would legally prevent his release.
CIDG-NCR chief Col. John Guiagui said Bonoan was in high spirits after learning that he would be released. Authorities also conducted a medical assessment before turning him over to his family because the former Cabinet official remained under medication.
The release followed the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division’s decision to remove Bonoan as an accused in the plunder and graft cases involving Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and three former DPWH district engineering officials.
The cases involve allegations that P573.75 million in kickbacks were generated through flood-control projects included in the 2025 national budget. The accusations remain allegations and will still have to be resolved through the judicial process.
Why Bonoan was removed from the case
The development stems from the Office of the Ombudsman’s move to use Bonoan as a government witness in its broader investigation into alleged corruption in flood-control and infrastructure projects.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla had previously said the former DPWH chief possessed potentially significant information because of his years leading the agency. The Ombudsman said Bonoan could help investigators understand how the alleged system operated and identify individuals who may have played a role in the supposed irregularities.
The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division subsequently granted the prosecution’s motion to remove Bonoan from the cases. The court cited the Ombudsman’s prosecutorial discretion in determining which accused could potentially be utilized as a state witness.
The move effectively changed Bonoan’s legal position in the Fifth Division cases—from detained accused to a potential government witness.
But Bonoan is not completely out of legal trouble
Despite his release, Bonoan still faces a separate graft case before the Sandiganbayan Second Division.
That case concerns an alleged conspiracy involving the inclusion of flood-control projects in the 2025 national budget. Prosecutors have alleged that Sen. Jinggoy Estrada received a P213.7 million kickback connected to two DPWH projects in Bulacan.
Bonoan had already posted P90,000 bail in that remaining graft case, making it a bailable offense.
On Friday, Bonoan entered a not-guilty plea in the remaining graft case, according to reports from Inquirer and Daily Tribune.
This means his release should not be interpreted as an acquittal or a finding that he committed no wrongdoing. Rather, the release followed the court’s decision to remove him from the cases in which the prosecution sought to use him as a witness.
Release comes as flood-control investigation widens
Bonoan’s release could become significant beyond his own cases because investigators have been examining alleged corruption involving flood-control projects and government infrastructure spending.
The Ombudsman has indicated that Bonoan’s potential testimony could assist in cases beyond the charges originally filed against him and could help investigators establish how alleged irregularities were carried out.
The development has also drawn political criticism.
The camp of former House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez questioned why Bonoan was released and raised concerns about the possibility that the former DPWH chief could become a witness in cases connected to the wider flood-control investigation. Romualdez has denied wrongdoing, and his camp has challenged allegations linking him to irregularities.
For now, however, Bonoan’s legal status is clear: he is no longer detained in connection with the Fifth Division cases, but he still faces a separate graft charge before the Sandiganbayan Second Division.
And with the Ombudsman seeking to tap his knowledge of the DPWH and the alleged flood-control scheme, his next statements could become an important part of the government’s continuing corruption investigations.
The bigger question now is what information Bonoan may provide—and how far investigators can take the flood-control cases with his cooperation.
WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.D
Leave a Reply