Former Public Works Secretary to Testify in Corruption Cases; Ombudsman Prepares

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman on Friday said it is preparing the testimony of former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan to ensure a “continuous trial” in the flood control cases. In a press briefing, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said Bonoan met with his office as part of the procedures to prepare him to face the court, given that the former Department of Public Works and Highways official has already been allowed to become a witness. “Of course, a witness has to be vetted properly. We have to ask the right questions. We have to know what the answers will be. Because, the problem is, you present them to the court, but they’re not prepared. You have to prepare for every trial,” Remulla said in Filipino. He stressed that preparation is important because “we really want a continuous trial for most of the cases we’ve filed [about] the flood control [scandal],” adding that his office is preparing for a “marathon of hearings.” “We want to go for a continuous trial so that there will be no sleeping cases. What happened before [where cases] take 15 years, that will not happen here,” Remulla said. Last week, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division ordered Bonoan’s release from hospital arrest after it approved his removal as an accused in two cases stemming from the flood control corruption scandal. Bonoan was previously named as a co-accused of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and three former DPWH district engineers over allegations that they amassed P573 million worth of kickbacks from flood control projects. The antigraft court later granted a motion by state prosecutors to exclude Bonoan from the charges against him. The motion came amid a bid by the Ombudsman to use the former DPWH chief as a state witness in other cases related to the flood control scandal. According to Remulla, his office has already received “many submissions” from Bonoan, including “factual backgrounds” and “notes.” “His testimony is essential … is very important to us,” he said. /mcm