Bonoan To Pin Down Romualdez? Lacson Says Ex-DPWH Chief Must Return P1 Billion

The Office of the Ombudsman wants former public works secretary Manuel Bonoan as a state witness to help pin down former speaker Martin Romualdez and former senator Ramon Revilla Jr. in plunder cases, Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said on Tuesday, June 30.

“He’s right there, he talked with the congressman, Cabinet secretaries,” Clavano said at a briefing. “That is a unique position. And if he’s willing to cooperate, we are willing to see what he also has to build our case against former speaker Martin Romualdez.”

Offering immunity to Bonoan was a “tough decision” due to the former secretary’s advanced age and illnesses, Clavano said.

He issued the statements as thousands of Iglesia ni Cristo members gathered at EDSA to protest the “selective prosecution” of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta for plunder.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said on Tuesday that before Bonoan can be admitted as a state witness in the flood control scandal, he should first return at least P1 billion that he may have illegally amassed.

In an interview with “Storycon” on One News, Lacson questioned the move of the ombudsman to seek Bonoan’s discharge as an accused, saying restitution should be a prerequisite to his admission to the Witness Protection Program.

“It should not be less than P1 billion,” Lacson said, adding this would be fair to other state witnesses who had signed agreements to return allegedly ill-gotten funds.

Lacson based his computation on the testimony of former public works undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, who told the Senate that Bonoan controlled P5 billion in project allocations annually from 2023 to 2025.

The senator said Bernardo had testified that Bonoan received a 15-percent commission from the projects, equivalent to P2.25 billion over three years.

Even after deducting the alleged shares distributed to others, Lacson said Bonoan would still have retained at least P1 billion.

Lacson also disputed the ombudsman’s statement that there were no indications Bonoan had personally received money from the supposed scheme.

“If they read all the documents and the transcript of the testimony, it is there,” Lacson said, referring to Bernardo’s sworn statements.

The senator said he would support Bonoan’s application as a state witness only if the former Cabinet official could identify individuals “more guilty” than himself, such as Romualdez.

“If you become a state witness, you should point upward, not downward. You should identify someone more guilty than you,” Lacson said.

Restitution needed

Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio also said the public should know how much Bonoan had pledged to return in exchange for his being admitted as a state witness.

“We must demand to know: how much did Bonoan agree to return to the government?” Carpio said.

Malacañang distanced itself from the ombudsman’s move.

“We will not interfere with the policies of the ombudsman because we know that is an independent body and we will not meddle in its processes, provided they do not violate the law,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said.

Last Monday, June 29, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla revealed asking the Sandiganbayan to withdraw Bonoan from the list of accused in the plunder case.

Remulla said the 80-year-old Bonoan’s various medical issues – which allowed him “hospital arrest” – were “of concern to us and we want to be able to perpetuate his testimony as soon as possible.”

Carpio said the agreement with the ombudsman or the Department of Justice (DOJ) “must specify the amount.”

He also warned that “without the agreement to return the malversed amount, Bonoan can keep the public funds after he testifies.”

When asked if restitution would be required of Bonoan, DOJ Secretary Fredderick Vida said, “I have no idea, I cannot comment.”

He pointed out that it was the ombudsman which filed the case against Bonoan.

‘ and that he “technically has no case with the DOJ.” – With Ghio Ong, Alexis Romero