Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Senator Sherwin Gatchalian slammed former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan whom he believes received kickbacks from flood control projects.Bonoan attended the eight hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on anomalous flood control projects on Monday after flying back to the country the day before.“Whether allocable, non-allocable, nakakuha kayo ng kickback. And the fact is nandito tayo ngayon dito sa hearing because for the last four years, pinabayaan niyong nangyayari ito under your watch,” Gatchalian said during the hearing.He also does not believe that Bonoan did not know about the anomalies in the DPWH.  “Secretary kayo ng DPWH, may mga ghost projects, may 20, 25% nangyayari sa ilalim po ng inyong opisina. Kaya ako ho, perosnally ako naniniwala po ako dito eh. Paano po ang isang Secretary palalampasin niyo itong nangyayari sa atin?” Gatchalian asked.Bonoan denied the accusations.“I completely deny, your honor. I don’t have any allocable amount,” Bonoan said. “I was the one actually who reported to the President where the ghost projects are in 2025.”Gatchalian pointed out, however, that Bonoan only spoke up when the issue already erupted.“As Secretary I exercise overall supervision and oversight,” Bonoan stated. “I also rely on people under me to cooperate, to do the job.”Senate President Pro Tempore and Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman Panfilo Lacson questioned this.“Ang trabaho niyo as DPWH Secretary oversight? I cannot accept that because hands on kayo, Secretary kayo,” Lacson remarked.<div>COORDINATES</div>Gatchalian also raised concerns about the changing of coordinates of flood control projects when these should already be identified at the onset.He said based on the national budget memorandum 153 and 154, projects should already be shovel ready or implementation ready with details, feasibility study, and detailed engineering.“In this 2026 budget, and I thank DPWH mayroon nang mga station numbers tayong nilagay, di ba, lahat ng project, but ngayon dahil nga sinasabi niyo puwedeng mag-move yung coordinates at station numbers, medyo nag-aalangan ako na kahit ilagay natin sa GAA, in actual iba naman yung lalabas,” Gatchalian said.According to the DPWH, what should be followed are coordinates submitted in the National Expenditure Program (NEP), but instead, coordinates were submitted even if these were not yet actual for the sake of putting something in the budget.“Ngayon po mayroon po kaming dinedevelop na app. Ito na po yung unified application wherein the coordinates from the planning stage and the coordinates for the actual ay iisang mapa na lang po yung ginagamit,” said DPWH Undersecretary Ricardo Bernabe III.The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) assured that they are implementing various ways to address the matter, especially since the budget call for 2027 has been released.<div>FLOOD CONTROL IN 2026 BUDGET?</div>Although the deliberations for the 2026 budget was meticulous, Lacson informed Gatchalian who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, that a flood control project still managed to slip through.“May desilting, mayroon pa ring flood control na 100 million. In the 2026 ha budget. This is not to to put you on the spot. Pero hindi ka naman Superman para makita lahat yan. But I’m telling you may nakita pa rin kaming 100 million na flood control. Eh ang sabi ng DPWH, zero flood control. In spite of that, mukhang nasingitan pa rin kayo sa bicam.”According to Gatchalian, “ Mayroon kasi Sen. Ping, na yung napo-point out niyo rin yung basic infrastructure program, may mga titles doon na very vague eh.”“Kung hindi ho masagot ng DPWH, kung hindi niyo maintindihan kayo mismo, paano namin maiintidihan ho yun?” Gatchalian told DPWH.Senate Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros, meanwhile, pressed contractor Pacifico “Curlee” DIscaya II to submit their complete ledger, which details their projects from 2016 to 2022.Discaya said they no longer have employees to do this, which Senator Francis Pangilinan slammed.“Ako hindi nagtataka bakit hindi tinatanggap sa Witness Protection Program itong mga Discaya. Dito lang sa Senado hindi na kayo nagco-cooperate eh. Ito ay patunay na mukhang hindi kayo qualified,” Pangilinan said.Meanwhile, former DPWH Region IV-B Director Gerald Pacanan appeared for the first time before the committee, but he refused to answer questions regarding projects under his watch such as those alleged in Oriental Mindoro.Pacanan invoked his right against self-incrimination, saying there is a pending case against him before the Sandiganbayan.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian slammed former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan whom he believes received kickbacks from flood control projects.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian slammed former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan whom he believes received kickbacks from flood control projects.

Gatchalian slams Bonoan in Senate hearing; former DPWH chief denies getting kickbacks

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Gatchalian slams Bonoan in Senate hearing; former DPWH chief denies getting kickbacks

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 20, 2026 12:32 AM PHT

Read More:

Senate

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee

flood control scandal

DPWH

flood control projects

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