Another ghost project: Bonoan probed anew
Former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan was found liable for another “non-existent” flood control project in Bulacan worth P95.04 million two days after the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) had recommended administrative charges against him in a P72.4-million “ghost” riverbank project in the same province.
In its fourth interim report since it was established in September, the ICI on Thursday recommended the investigation of Bonoan and two of his former undersecretaries—Roberto Bernardo and Maria Catalina Cabral—for violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials in the P95.04-million project in Bocaue town.
Bonoan is the most senior former public works official facing an administrative case recommended by the ICI since the fact-finding body was created by President Marcos to investigate the multibillion-peso corruption scandal in the flood mitigation projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“Were it not for the President’s 2025 SONA (State of the Nation Address), Secretary Bonoan’s inexcusable negligence tantamount to fraud would have resulted in further plunder of public funds,” the ICI report said.
The irregularities in the flood control project stemmed from the “deliberate failure of the concerned public officials to fulfill their duties,” the ICI pointed out.
‘Simple diligence’
Bonoan, the secretary of the DPWH at that time, and the others are facing specific charges of grave misconduct and gross dishonesty in releasing public funds for the construction of a 147-meter concrete slope protection structure at a riverside in Barangay Bambang in Bocaue that turned out to be non-existent.
The report, signed by the ICI chair, former Supreme Court Justice Andres Reyes, emphasized that the ghost project was made possible because “Secretary Bonoan betrayed such trust reposed on him.”
“He miserably failed to exercise simple diligence tantamount to fraud in ensuring the judicious use of public funds entrusted to DPWH. As clearly shown by DPWH documents cited herein, the plunder of public funds happened right under his nose,” the report said.
Bonoan could not be reached for comment.
Before he resigned on Aug. 31, Bonoan acknowledged he had “command responsibility” in the DPWH, but vehemently denied any involvement in corruption.
“Absolutely, on my part, no, no, no, no!” he told reporters after appearing at a House hearing on the flood control projects.
‘No work or structure’
In addition to the same administrative case, the ICI also recommended separate graft, malversation and falsification charges for the Bocaue project against eight District Engineering Office (DEO) engineers of DPWH Bulacan first district.
They are former district engineer Henry Alcantara; former assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez; Jaime Hernandez, officer in charge of maintenance; Ernesto Galang, chief of planning and design; project engineer John Carlo Rivera; and John Michael Marcos, Claudine Magsakay and Ericka Chico, all of whom held Engineer II positions.
It recommended the same criminal charges against Allan Payawal, who represented the two joint venture contractors—Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc. and Beam Team Developer Specialist, Inc.
The ICI’s 19-page fourth interim report said the Commission on Audit (COA) “found that there was no work or structure at the location specified in the contract in accordance with the approved bid plans of the project.”
The COA’s site inspection report and available records “clearly establish that the Project was never implemented, despite the unwarranted release and full payment of the contract cost by the DPWH” to Topnotch.
There was also “unjustified discrepancies between the as-built plans and the approved bid/contract plans,” the report added.
‘Gaining traction’
The ICI report said bidding documents showed “falsified” records that indicated approval of “accomplishments” by the Bulacan DEO.
It said that the statement of work accomplished (SWA), which Payawal had submitted to the DPWH, “appears to have been falsified.”
There were three SWAs that were supposedly examined by DPWH engineers and marked as “paid.” The first was for the period April 23, 2024, to July 5, 2024, which declared a 51.5-percent accomplishment; the second for the period July 6, 2024, to Oct. 22, 2024, which confirmed an 89.7-percent accomplishment; and the last for Oct. 23, 2024, to Jan. 17, 2025, indicating a 100-percent accomplishment.
Engineers Rivera and (Jaime) Hernandez signed all three SWAs, while Alcantara and (Brice) Hernandez signed only the first two.
In its Nov. 4 report, the ICI asked the Ombudsman to file graft, malversation and falsification charges against Alcantara and Hernandez for the P72.4-million “ghost” flood control project in Plaridel, Bulacan.
“The approval of the SWAs by the DPWH Bulacan 1st DEO officials, despite the non-existence of any work or construction at the identified location, shows that these officials either failed to properly verify the accomplishment of the works or knowingly approved a document that falsely certified compliance with the contract,” the report noted.
It said Bonoan’s negligence could lead to “further plunder of public funds.”
“We can escalate the findings against Bonoan and (others). But right now, this is the only evidence we have,” said ICI chair former Supreme Court Justice Andres Reyes.
“What is important is that the case is gaining traction already,” Reyes said at a press briefing before sending the latest ICI report to the Ombudsman.
The ICI said that if it received or obtained more information or documents regarding its referral to the Ombudsman, it would relay them immediately.
