Former DPWH Chief Manuel Bonoan Released From Detention After Sandiganbayan Drops Him From Flood Control Cases

Ex-public works secretary is now free after court recalled his arrest warrant — but another graft case remains pending

MANILA, Philippines — Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel “Manny” Bonoan has been released from detention following a Sandiganbayan order removing him as an accused in the plunder and graft cases linked to the alleged ₱573.75-million flood control kickback scheme.

Bonoan left the Philippine National Police General Hospital in Camp Crame, Quezon City, at around 10:30 a.m. on Friday, September 4, after the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division issued its release order. The PNP confirmed that it was complying with the court directive.

Why was Bonoan released?

The release follows the Fifth Division’s decision earlier this week to grant the Office of the Ombudsman’s request to discharge Bonoan as a co-accused in the plunder and graft cases involving Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and three former DPWH district engineering officials.

The court subsequently recalled Bonoan’s arrest warrant and hold-departure order, clearing the legal basis for his continued detention in those cases.

The Ombudsman sought Bonoan’s discharge after he agreed to cooperate with the investigation and potentially serve as a state witness in other cases connected to the massive flood-control corruption controversy.

Bonoan could become a key witness

The development could be significant for investigators pursuing other alleged irregularities in government flood-control projects.

According to the Ombudsman, Bonoan’s cooperation could help investigators uncover how the alleged kickback system operated and potentially provide information relevant to other flood-control cases, including investigations involving other prominent political figures.

The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division, in a 2-1 ruling, found that the Ombudsman’s decision to seek Bonoan’s discharge fell within its prosecutorial discretion in determining which accused could be used as a state witness.

That decision, however, does not mean the broader flood-control allegations have been proven in court.

The alleged ₱573.75-million flood-control scheme

Bonoan had been among those charged alongside Estrada and three former DPWH district engineering officials.

The Ombudsman alleged that the group conspired in a scheme involving budget insertions and allocations for DPWH infrastructure projects in the 2025 national budget, resulting in alleged kickbacks totaling ₱573.75 million.

Estrada and the other remaining accused continue to face the proceedings.

On September 3, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division also entered a not-guilty plea for Estrada after he declined to enter a plea himself during arraignment. His legal team has said it intends to challenge the amended information in the case.

Bonoan’s release does not end all of his legal troubles

This is an important distinction.

Bonoan is no longer an accused in the specific Fifth Division plunder and graft cases involving Estrada and the alleged ₱573.75-million kickback scheme.

However, reports from The Philippine Star and News5 indicate that he still faces a separate graft case before the Sandiganbayan’s Second Division, for which he has already posted bail.

So, while Bonoan has been released from the detention connected with the Fifth Division cases, the development does not mean that every criminal proceeding against him has been dismissed.

Nearly three months under hospital arrest

Bonoan had been under hospital arrest at the PNP General Hospital in Camp Crame since June, with the detention taking place amid medical concerns. Inquirer reported that the court’s latest action recalled the order that had placed him under hospital arrest.

The PNP initially had to conduct its own verification before physically releasing him because the Sandiganbayan order stated that he should be released unless he was being held for another lawful reason.

Once the relevant records were checked and the release order was processed, authorities proceeded with his release on Friday morning.

What happens next?

The spotlight now shifts to Bonoan’s potential cooperation with the Ombudsman.

His value as a prospective state witness could extend beyond the cases from which he was discharged, particularly if his testimony provides investigators with information about the alleged mechanics of corruption in flood-control projects.

At the same time, prosecutors will continue pursuing the cases against the remaining accused, while the defense teams retain their legal remedies.

For Bonoan, Friday’s release represents a major legal turning point.

But his freedom from the Fifth Division’s detention is not the same as a blanket dismissal of all cases against him.

And with the flood-control investigation continuing to expand, what Bonoan tells investigators next could become one of the most closely watched developments in the controversy.

WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.D