MANILA, Philippines — Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan continues to share the spotlight as a co-accused alongside Senator Jinggoy Estrada in his ongoing graft case, government prosecutors informed the Sandiganbayan Second Division on Tuesday, September 29.
During the proceedings, Division Chairperson and Presiding Justice Geraldine Faith Econg inquired about the current legal standing of the former infrastructure chief and asked whether he would eventually be presented as a witness for the state.
Addressing the court’s query, Deputy Special Prosecutor Manuel Soriano Jr. clarified,
“In the meantime, Your Honor, as our recommendation is pending, his status is accused.”
Prosecution team member Darlene Vivas further explained that a formal recommendation regarding their next legal step has already been forwarded to the Office of the Ombudsman following an adverse court ruling, but they are still waiting for official guidance.
“As of now, we have already submitted our recommendation on what would be the course of action of the prosecution after the denial of our motion for reconsideration. And we are still awaiting the approval or the action from the Office of the Ombudsman,” Vivas told the anti-graft court.
The clarification comes on the heels of an August 3 ruling by the anti-graft court’s Second Division, which turned down the prosecution’s attempt to drop Bonoan from the charge sheet. In its 12-page resolution, the court reasoned that dropping Bonoan from the case would “unduly restrict” the legal defenses available to Estrada. However, the court pointed out that its refusal to drop him from the charges does not prevent him from potentially taking the stand as a state witness down the line, nor does it serve as a judgment on the weight or reliability of any potential testimony he might give.
Estrada’s legal team had earlier fought against the effort to remove the former DPWH secretary from the case. On July 14, defense attorney Laurence Hector Arroyo pointed out that the prosecution’s plan to revise the charge sheet would erase the claim of conspiracy, change the factual narrative, and unfairly compromise the senator’s existing defense strategy.
The push to discharge Bonoan stems from a prior announcement by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla, who indicated plans to clear the former cabinet official so he could serve as a government witness in multiple legal actions concerning alleged flood-control project anomalies.
The legal battle originated on May 28, when the Office of the Ombudsman charged both Estrada and Bonoan with plunder and graft before the Sandiganbayan.
The charges involve allegations of unauthorized budget allocations and illegal kickbacks linked to DPWH infrastructure and flood-control initiatives under the 2025 national budget.