PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s trust in Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan remains intact amid issues over anomalous flood control projects across the country.
In a press conference on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said Marcos still trusts Bonoan.
“Sa ngayon, wala naman pong nababanggit na anuman ang Pangulo so kung mayroon mang magiging aksiyon patungkol kay Secretary Bonoan, hintayin na lamang po natin. Pero as of the moment, nandiyan pa rin po ang trust niya,” said Castro.
(For now, the President has not mentioned anything regarding the matter, so if there will be any action concerning Secretary Bonoan, let’s just wait. But as of the moment, his trust remains.)
Earlier, there had been calls for Bonoan to step down from post as Marcos ordered a crackdown against anomalous flood control projects in light of massive floods brought about by a series of weather disturbances that submerged communities, affecting thousands of families across the country over the past months.
Bonoan, in response, said he serves at the pleasure of the President and it will also be up to him if he will remain as the DPWH secretary.
From July 2022 to May 2025, the government has a total of 9,855 flood control projects across the country valued at P545.64 billion, with the DPWH being the implementing agency.
During a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee inquiry into the bogus flood control projects across the country, Bonoan assured that the agency is conducting its own investigation.
He said he has already ordered the relief from office of several district engineering officials over irregularities in flood control projects.
This includes 10 DPWH officials from the 1st District Engineering Office in Bulacan due to “ghost projects.”
These ghost projects include the reinforced concrete riverwall project in Barangay Piel, Baliuag, Bulacan that was inspected by and angered Marcos last week.
In a document provided by the DPWH, the construction firm that bagged the project, which cost a total of P55,730,911.60, was Syms Construction Trading.
The actual start date indicated was February 2, 2025 and the contract expiry date was October 22, 2025.
Marcos said as of June 2025, based on a report, the project was completed and fully paid.
Meanwhile, Castro said Marcos is open to discussing with Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong regarding the information he has related to the anomalous flood control projects.
Castro said Magalong already submitted to Marcos pertinent documents to back his claims that there are congressmen receiving 30 to 40 percent kickbacks from infrastructure projects.
He said he is willing to appear before the Congress and shed light on the matter. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)