2 months ago
32
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
January 14, 2026 | 5:00pm
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Manuel Bonoan submitted inaccurate map coordinates for thousands of flood control projects to Malacañang.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, January 14, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chair said this affects the original finding of the DPWH and the field inspection teams that 421 flood control projects were considered “ghost.”
“I received reliable information that former DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan deliberately submitted to Malacanang incorrect grid coordinates of thousands of flood control projects all over the country, which form part of the Sumbong sa Pangulo website,” Lacson said.
According to him, DPWH is already working to correct the issue by cross-checking the coordinates Bonoan provided to the Sumbong sa Pangulo website against the agency’s internal system, which lists all infrastructure projects and their specific coordinates.
“They are now trying to rectify by comparing the records in their multiyear planning and scheduling or MYPS to the project contract management application or PCMA,” Lacson said, referring to the open source monitoring system of the DPWH.
The Sumbong sa Pangulo website was launched by Malacañang after President Marcos ordered an investigation into anomalous flood control projects and named the top 15 contractors that cornered P100 billion in contracts between 2022 and 2025.
Bonoan's motive?
Lacson explained that the tampered data could have been meant to steer investigators toward the wrong projects, distorting reports on the flood control issues, given his alleged complicity in the kickback scheme.
He said it could have possibly been an honest mistake if only a few projects had wrong coordinates, but the DPWH informed him there were multiple cases pointing to a clear intention.
“Niloko niya si pangulo (He misled the president),” Lacson added.
Former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo and the late undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral implicated Bonoan in their testimonies.
Bernardo said he managed multibillion-peso projects for Bonoan and delivered kickbacks for the former secretary, derived from approved budget insertions made to the National Expenditure Program.
Cabral, meanwhile, testified she was instructed to create the “parametric formula” that provided a ceiling budget for each legislative district.
Asked whether this would hurt the DPWH more, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chair said he thinks Bonoan attempted to weaken the credibility of the Sumbong sa Pangulo website instead.
“So nililigaw niya para maweaken yung teorya o masira ang kredibilidad na ‘yung mga ghost flood control project ay talagang ghost,” Lacson said.
(So he is misleading people to weaken the theory or undermine the credibility of claims that these ghost flood control projects are indeed ghost.)
“Kasi 'pag pumalpak ka sa mga tatlo, apat limang ghost, ibig sabihin wala ‘yang sumbong sa pangulo website, hindi reliable ‘yan,” he added.
(Because if you fail on three, four, or five ghost projects, it means the Sumbong sa Pangulo website is useless and not reliable.)
This, however, does not mean there are no ghost projects. He said it’s only possible that the figure could have been bloated.
Senate to probe 'Cabral files'
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, which has been conducting a legislative probe into the flood control corruption scandal, is set to resume its hearings on January 19.
Lacson said he has already spoken with Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, who agreed to send two undersecretaries to testify before the committee and submit the necessary documents related to flood control.
He added that the public can expect the panel to closely scrutinize budget documents on “district allocables,” as well as alleged requests by other government officials for project insertions during the DPWH’s budget preparation stage.
These documents, formerly in Cabral’s possession, have become the subject of controversy amid questions about her death and the authenticity of the “leaked” files.
Lacson said Bonoan will be subpoenaed again to testify, and if he fails to appear, he could be cited for contempt, which may lead to a legislative warrant requesting law enforcement action.
Bonoan, however, has yet to return to the country after failing to come back as planned on December 17.
