Bonoan: 'Resigning, avoiding responsibility not proper way of finding solutions'

Amid calls for him to resign, Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan on Saturday said it is not the appropriate approach to addressing issues, as he takes on accountability on alleged anomalous flood control projects.

"Meron nga nananawagan sa akin na ako po raw ay mag-leave o kaya po ay mag-resign dahil po sa isyung ito. 'Yan po sana ang madaling gawin, mag-resign o talikuran ko ang problema. Pero hindi po ang pag-alis o pag-iwas ng responsibilidad ang tamang paraan ng paghahanap ng solusyon," Bonoan said in a video message.

(Some have called on me to leave or resign because of this issue. To resign or turn my back on the problem is an easy thing to do. But leaving or avoiding responsibility is not the proper way to find solutions.)

"Sa akin po, tatanggapin ko ang accountability pero tandaan po ninyo, hindi ko po kukonsintihin at papayagan ang anumang uri ng korupsyon na nangyayari," Bonoan added.

(As for me, I will accept accountability but remember that I will not tolerate or allow any kind of corruption to occur.)

In the video message, Bonoan said the Regional Director of Region 4B, as well as the Regional Office of Assistant District Engineers and section chiefs of Batangas 1st District Engineering Office have been reassigned from their posts.

The agency is also currently validating the existence of flood control projects in Bulacan and other provinces in Regions 3, 4B, 6, 7, and 8.

Prior to this, the department already formed an Anti-Corruption Task Force to encourage the public to report questionable projects of the DPWH.

It has also issued preventive suspension of the district offices involved in ghost projects, including the Bulacan First District Engineering Office, from its District Engineer, Assistant District Engineer and section chiefs; and the District Engineer of the Batangas 1st District Engineering Office who allegedly tried to bribe Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste

Bonoan said he is open to releasing his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's order to conduct lifestyle checks on government officials.

Despite issues surrounding ghost and anomalous flood control projects Bonoan still enjoys the trust of Marcos, according to Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro. —KG, GMA Integrated News