Sandiganbayan drops Bonoan as co-accused in flood control case

The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division has granted the Ombudsman’s motion to drop former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan from the plunder and graft charges involving former Senator Jinggoy Estrada.

Voting 2-1, the justices of the Sandiganbayan division said it was within the Ombudsman’s “prosecutorial discretion” to determine which accused it would use as a state witness, according to a copy of the decision exclusively obtained by GMA News.

“The decision to move for the discharge of an accused is part of the Ombudsman’s prosecutorial discretion of who should be used as a state witness, to bolster the successful prosecution of criminal offenses,” the Sandiganbayan said.

In a statement, Estrada said he would avail himself of all remedies provided under the law.

“While I respect the decision of the Sandiganbayan, I wish to emphasize that there remain legal remedies available to me under our judicial system, which my legal team will carefully study and pursue at the appropriate time,” he said.

“My faith in our judicial system remains firm,” he added.

Bonoan was among Estrada’s co-accused in the case, along with three others. The Ombudsman charged them in May with allegedly conspiring to amass more than P500 million in kickbacks from flood control projects.

In June, the Ombudsman asked the Sandiganbayan to exclude Bonoan from the charges after the former secretary expressed his willingness to cooperate with the agency.

The Ombudsman said Bonoan’s testimony was necessary to uncover the system behind the alleged kickback scheme involving the anomalous projects.

“His cooperation was indispensable to uncover the architecture that may have set the entire machinery in motion,” the Ombudsman said in its June 11, 2026 resolution.

The Sandiganbayan also said the Ombudsman is empowered under the law to grant immunity to a state witness.

Estrada and Bonoan have yet to be arraigned by the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division due to pending motions. The court, however, has scheduled Estrada’s arraignment for September 3. — RSJ/VBL, GMA News