Bonoan named a respondent in plunder complaint filed by NBI —DOJ

Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Manuel Bonoan has been named a respondent in a plunder complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Monday. 

According to DOJ spokesperson Atty. Polo Martinez, Bonoan is a co-respondent in the same plunder case as Senator Jinggoy Estrada, along with other charges stemming from alleged irregularities linked to flood control projects.

Martinez clarified that the plunder complaint is not confined to a single project or locality. Instead, it covers allegations of the acquisition of ill-gotten wealth amounting to more than P50 million, allegedly obtained through a combination or series of transactions.

“Lahat po 'yan (All of these) arising from flood control projects and the transactions included in and related to these projects.” Martinez said.

As of now, the DOJ has not set a schedule for the preliminary investigation. The case is still set to be assigned to a panel of prosecutors who will handle the proceedings.

Martinez added that no subpoenas have been issued so far. Subpoenas will only be released once the handling prosecutors are formally designated.

Further details of the complaint are expected to be disclosed once the preliminary investigation begins.

GMA News Online contacted Bonoan to get his comment on the matter.

Bonoan is at the Senate as of posting time attending the blue ribbon committee hearing into anomalous flood control projects. —with a report from Giselle Ombay/KG, GMA Integrated News