The Senate will summon 12 persons including former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, resigned lawmaker Zaldy Co, former Education undersecretary Trygve Olaivar, and Commission on Audit Commissioner Mario Lipana to appear before its Blue Ribbon Committee on Monday as it moves forward with its inquiry into alleged flood control irregularities.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Friday said also ordered to appear as resource persons in the investigation are former Public Works regional directors Gerald Opulencia and Gerald Pacanan, businessman Maynard Ngu, Co’s former associates Orly Guteza John Paul Estrada, Mark Teksay, Arjay Domasig, and Carleen Yap-Villa.
Bonoan, however, is still in the United States but promised to return to Manila on February 15 to face the allegations, according to Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez on Friday.
The Department of Justice meanwhile said it expects to recover up to P1.5 billion from individuals admitted into the Witness Protection Program (WPP) over the alleged flood control anomalies.
Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said four individuals have so far returned a combined P316 million to the government — DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, former DPWH Bulacan First District engineer Henry Alcantara, Opulencia as former DPWH National Capital Region director, and government contractor Sally Santos.
The Senate also directed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to turn over official records through a subpoena duces tecum – a legislative order that requires a person or institution to produce specific documents, records, or other tangible evidence for an investigation – addressed to Secretary Vince Dizon.
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson explained they issued the order to Dizon “with the end view of consolidating all the files, including but not limited to what the late (DPWH) undersecretary (Ma. Catalina) Cabral left before she died, and which are confirmed to be in the possession of the Department and which the Blue Ribbon Committee needs to further enhance our inquiry and investigation.”
Lacson, who chairs the panel, said the investigation will prioritize primary and authenticated documentation obtained directly from the DPWH.
The senator had said Bonoan provided incorrect grid coordinates for thousands of flood control projects submitted to Malacañang and later uploaded to the Sumbong sa Pangulo platform. Ombudsman Crispin Remulla later confirmed this.
The DPWH is now attempting to resolve the discrepancies by comparing records from its multi-year planning system, project management applications, and other intact databases.
Lawmakers also plan to seek clarification on reports involving the alleged purchase of a Makati City property and claims that several witnesses, including those referred to as the “BGC Boys” may have withdrawn or intend to withdraw earlier testimonies.
The DPWH has acknowledged discrepancies and is now reconciling data from its multi-year planning system, project management applications, and other intact databases.
Meanwhile, the DOJ said Alcantara returned the largest amount to the government at P181 million, while Bernardo made a partial refund sourced from the sale of his property, with further payments expected before the end of January.
Vida clarified that admission into the WPP shields witnesses from criminal liability only for cases directly covered by their testimonies, and does not grant blanket immunity, particularly in alleged “ghost projects” where funds were released for projects that were never implemented.
