Bonoan not invited to Blue Ribbon probe on flood projects for now —Lacson

Senate President Pro Tempore and Blue Ribbon Committee chair Panfilo Lacson said former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Manuel Bonoan has not been invited to attend the hearing into flood control projects for now.

“Hindi pa (Not yet),” Lacson told GMA Integrated News’ Unang Balita on Thursday as he was asked if he will invite Bonoan to the hearing following the senator’s privilege speech linking the former DPWH chief’s alleged family business to a contractor.

Lacson explained that the Senate panel's focus for now is the contractors, such as Sarah and Curlee Discaya, and DPWH engineers.

“Kasi marami pang naiwan na dapat ipagpatuloy. Nandyan pa yung mga Discaya. Nandyan pa yung sina Brice Hernandez,” he added.

(Because there are still many things left that need to be continued. The Discayas are still there. Brice Hernandez is still there.) 

Aside from these, Lacson said the entire staff of the Blue Ribbon Committee will also undergo a background check after a supposed employee was linked to an anomalous project. 

“Nagsasagawa kami ngayon ng record check at saka background investigation sa lahat ng staff ng Blue Ribbon. Nag-iimbestiga kami pero meron palang ganung employee o staff na nai-involve doon sa mga maanomalyang proyekto,” Lacson said.

(We are now conducting a record check and background investigation on all Blue Ribbon staff. We are investigating, but there is an employee or staff member who was involved in anomalous projects.)

On Tuesday, Lacson said Bonoan had a “family business” with Candaba, Pampanga Mayor Rene Maglanque whom he said is a contractor of multi-billion-worth flood control projects. 

He said Maglanque was the former president of construction company Globalcrete Builders, which allegedly secured P2.195-billion worth of flood control projects from 2018 to 2024 in Bulacan alone.

The senator said that Maglanque is also the owner of the MBB Global Properties Corporation which owns the Wyndham Garden Hotel sa Clark, Pampanga that was built for almost P1 billion. 

Lacson noted that based on the firm’s 2024 general information sheet, the following are the executives of MBB Global Properties Corporation:

• Macy Monique Maglanque, President
• Sunshine M. Bernardo, Corporate Secretary
• Fatima Gay B. (Bonoan) Dela Cruz, Treasurer

Lacson pointed out that these individuals are children of Mayor Rene Maglanque, DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, and Manuel Bonoan, respectively. 

“Kaya naman pala ang palaging depensa ni dating DPWH secretary Bonoan, isolated case lang daw ang nakita ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos na ghost project sa Bulacan. Ayaw na siguro ni Bonoan na maungkat pa sa imbestigasyon ang Globalcrete,” he added. 

(Maybe this was why former DPWH secretary Bonoan constantly said that what President Bongbong Marcos saw as a ghost project in Bulacan was an isolated case. Maybe Bonoan doesn't want Globalcrete to be dragged into the investigation.) 

GMA News Online has reached out to Bonoan and Maglanque for comments and will publish these once available.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has called for an investigation into anomalous flood control projects as many parts of the country have been submerged amid heavy rains in the past months.

Several government agencies, as well as the Senate and the House of Representatives, have launched their respective investigations.

Some flood control projects were found to be ghost projects. —Joviland Rita/ VAL, GMA Integrated News