Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito has called on former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan to fully disclose what he knows about the alleged corruption involving flood control projects after the Office of the Ombudsman moved to use him as a state witness.
Ejercito said Bonoan’s previous post as secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) could be crucial in identifying the individuals allegedly operating the scheme.
Asked in a television interview whether he supports Bonoan’s designation as a state witness, Ejercito said the former secretary should provide a complete account of what he knows.
“As long as sasabihin niya lahat, tell all,” Ejercito said.
The senator, however, cautioned against allowing individuals who may have played the biggest roles in the alleged scheme to escape prosecution by becoming state witnesses.
“Sana naman huwag yung mga most guilty. Huwag naman lahat mag-state witness. Kasi sa tingin ko, yung iba doon, talagang sila ang operator,” he said.
Ejercito described the alleged misuse of funds for flood control projects as “the biggest corruption scandal” in the country’s history, stressing the need to determine how the scheme began and identify those responsible.
“Hindi pwedeng hindi natin matunton kung sino talagang magsimula na itong modus nito. Kailangan natin malaman kung sino para maiwasan na natin,” he said.
He also recalled his experience in Congress, saying the alleged practice of selling government projects and the unusually large amounts involved should not be ignored.
“Nanggaling naman ako sa Congress. Wala naman ito (dati). Yung mga bentahan ng projects, tapos may ganoon kalalaki, medyo nakakasilaw din. Nakakalula. Kaya hindi dapat palagpasin,” Ejercito added.
The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division earlier approved the Ombudsman’s request to remove Bonoan as an accused in the ₱573-million plunder and graft cases, allowing him to potentially testify for the government despite opposition from his co-accused, Senator Jinggoy Estrada.
Estrada is Ejercito’s half-brother and the son of former President Joseph Estrada.