Prosecution eyes presenting Bonoan as last witness in Bong Revilla case

MANILA, Philippines — State prosecutors on Tuesday said former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) chief Manuel Bonoan is being eyed as a witness in the malversation case filed against Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. in the Sandiganbayan Third Division.

“I manifested in the court earlier,” Office of the Ombudsman’s Deputy Special Prosecutor Omar Sagadal told Inquirer when asked if state prosecutors are looking into the admission of Bonoan as their last witness in the malversation trial of Revilla and his co-accused in an alleged ghost project in Bulacan’s Pandi town worth P92.8 million.

Sagadal said that Bonoan could only testify “once he is dropped from the charges in [the Sen. Jinggoy] Estrada case.”

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Bonoan is still charged with plunder in a P573 million case involving Estrada filed in the anti-graft court’s Fifth Division.

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On Monday, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said the institutional knowledge of Bonoan, who already agreed to be a state witness, will help the anti-graft body to “prove many cases.”

READ: Remulla: Ex-DPWH chief Bonoan to be used as state witness

State prosecutors have since filed before the anti-graft court’s Fifth Division a motion to amend case information to drop Bonoan from the case.

Due to this motion, the arraignment proceeding of Estrada and Bonoan, which was supposed to be held this Tuesday, June 30, was moved to July 28.

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READ: ‘Arraignment of Estrada, Bonoan moved to July 28’

Bonoan was mentioned by state witness, former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo and his driver Vergel Niño Garcia, when they testified before the Third Division during Revilla and his co-accused’s bail hearing.

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Bernardo said it was Bonoan who was allegedly in charge with budget allocations that will be submitted before the Congress.

Garcia said he delivered a total of 55 boxes intended for Bonoan, but he said he only learned that the boxes contained money when the flood control investigation began. Bonoan has denied this accusation. /das

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