Lacson: Bonoan gave Malacañang 'wrong' flood control data

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Wednesday alleged that former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan deliberately submitted to Malacañang incorrect grid coordinates for thousands of flood control projects nationwide.

Lacson, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, said he received “reliable information” indicating that Bonoan’s actions were intended to mislead President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

“This resulted in grossly inaccurate data involving some 421 ghost projects among previously inspected flood control projects,” Lacson said.

“The department is now attempting to rectify this by cross-checking records in their Multi-Year Planning and Scheduling (MYPS) system, Project and Contract Management Application (PCMA), and other related documents that remain in the department’s possession,” he added.

GMA News Online has reached out to Bonoan for comment and will update this story once he responds.

According to Lacson, a new witness is expected to appear at the resumption of the Blue Ribbon hearing on Monday, January 19, to testify on Bonoan's alleged submission of wrong grid coordinates.

A subpoena will also be issued to Bonoan ahead of the next hearing, the senator said.

Lacson said Bonoan allegedly tried to “cover up” anomalies in flood control projects by deliberately providing inaccurate grid coordinates.

This had supposedly led to bloated figures in subsequent project verification by composite teams from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev).

“Ang unang report, 421 [ghost projects] out of 8,000 di’ba? So, ‘yun, bloated ‘yun. (Based on the initial report, there were 421 ghost projects out of 8,000 projects—so that number is bloated) Why? Because when the composite teams...went to a site to inspect suspected ghost flood control projects, and the grid coordinates were wrong, of course, they wouldn’t find any projects," he said.

"So, they reported those projects as ghost,” Lacson said.

He added: “So, ang outcome, masyadong bloated ‘yung 421. Substantially, the number of ghost flood control projects should be lower. ‘Yun ang naging resulta no’n.”

(So the reported 421 ghost projects is overstated. The actual number of ghost projects should be lower. That was the result.)

In November last year, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) recommended filing criminal and administrative charges against Bonoan and other former DPWH officials over a P95 million flood control project in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Later that month, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed that Bonoan had left the Philippines amid the investigation into anomalous flood control projects.

The agency said the former DPWH chief had yet to return even after his declared return date of December 17, 2025.—MCG, GMA Integrated News