Former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan is set to become a state witness in the government’s investigation into the alleged flood control scandal after agreeing to cooperate with prosecutors, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla said Monday.
Remulla said the Office of the Ombudsman will ask the court to discharge Bonoan from the cases against him so he can formally testify as a cooperating witness.
“We already have a signed agreement for the cooperation of Bonoan to become a cooperating witness,” Remulla told reporters.
The Ombudsman said Bonoan’s testimony could be crucial because of his firsthand knowledge of the planning, implementation, and execution of government flood control projects.
“The knowledge that he has is very important in this case,” Remulla said.
The investigation covers alleged irregularities in flood control projects, including claims of substandard work, project duplication, and misuse of public funds.
Remulla also announced that Senator Joel Villanueva and eight incumbent members of the House of Representatives will undergo preliminary investigation in connection with the alleged flood control anomaly.
He said the Ombudsman decided to conduct its own probe after finding the Department of Justice’s previous case build-up insufficient.
“We did not accept the findings of the DOJ because we found the case build-up lacking, so we have to conduct our own investigation,” Remulla said.
The Ombudsman did not identify the eight House members or provide further details on the specific allegations being examined.
In a separate development, Remulla said the Ombudsman is preparing to file a non-bailable plunder case before the Sandiganbayan against Senator Rodante Marcoleta within the week.
“Senator Marcoleta, it’s for resolution, we’re about to file it already,” Remulla said.
State prosecutors said the plunder complaint against Marcoleta is linked to alleged irregularities involving P75 million in campaign donations.
The announcements mark a major development in the Ombudsman’s handling of corruption-related cases involving public officials, particularly the widening probe into alleged flood control irregularities.
As of posting, Bonoan, Villanueva, and Marcoleta have yet to issue statements on the Ombudsman’s announcements.
The conduct of a preliminary investigation or the filing of criminal charges does not constitute proof of guilt. All respondents are presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court.