Bonoan appears before DOJ, says he’s ready to face plunder case
Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan said on Monday that he would address the allegations of corruption against him in relation to the flood control scandal.
Bonoan returned last month to the country from the United States, where he accompanied his wife, who is set to undergo a medical procedure. The couple left in November.
Bonoan, as well as former DPWH district engineer Henry Alcantara, appeared before the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the first day of preliminary investigations in two separate plunder cases.
Alcantara is a corespondent in the plunder cases filed before the DOJ against former Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada.
On the other hand, Bonoan is a corespondent in the plunder case against Estrada. The charge against them stemmed from alleged anomalous flood control projects and transactions in relation to the projects.
“I am here,” Bonoan said, responding to questions about whether he intends to stay in the country to face his case. But he added that he plans to leave again to attend to his sick wife, adding: “I am just waiting for the schedule of the operation.”
Bonoan is scheduled to return to the DOJ on Feb. 12 to submit his response to the plunder complaint through a counter-affidavit.
When asked about his confidence in defending himself against the plunder suit, he said: “I have to study it, actually, first. These have something to do with the allocations for members of the Senate.”
“I have to study it very well. It’s quite serious if it’s plunder,” Bonoan added.
He gave his assurance that a proper response would be forthcoming once he has studied the complaint and the attached documents.
“I have not yet looked into the details of the complaint actually,” he said. “We’ll try to look into all these allegations being thrown against us. Certainly, I’m sure we will be able to answer these.”
