The Senate’s investigation into corruption-tainted infrastructure projects is far from over, with former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan still in the spotlight.
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson underscored this after some lawmakers described Monday’s resumption of the Blue Ribbon Committee’s hearing on anomalous flood control projects as underwhelming.
Lacson, who chairs the chamber’s anti-graft panel, revealed that Bonoan’s alleged submission of erroneous grid coordinates for suspected “ghost” flood control projects to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will be a key focus in the next hearing.
“We can focus the next hearing on Bonoan to tackle other issues he can clarify. He is in the country so he can address the issues involving him,” Lacson said in a radio interview.
The senator cautioned that Bonoan, who resigned in August last year amid the controversy, could face contempt charges and detention if he avoids direct answers during questioning.
“He could be detained, not just issued an arrest warrant,” Lacson said.
Testimonies from Public Works Undersecretaries Arthur Bisnar and Ricardo Bernabe III, Lacson noted, pointed to a possible “clear pattern” in the erroneous project locations.
He stressed that more than 86 percent of the projects reviewed contained inaccurate coordinates, suggesting the errors may have been intentional.
According to Lacson, the submission of false data could have been aimed at discrediting the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website and weakening cases filed against ghost flood control projects.
“For example, a case is filed using data from the Sumbong sa Pangulo website as evidence. The defense can question the website’s credibility. That is one possible long-term motive for submitting wrong data,” Lacson said.