MANILA – The whereabouts of former Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan is being closely monitored by the Philippine government, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Wednesday.
Bonoan flew to the United States on Tuesday to accompany his wife for medical treatment.
He was included by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) in its request to the Office of the Ombudsman to be investigated over anomalies in the implementation of flood control projects in Bulacan province.
In a press briefing, DOJ spokesperson Nicholo Polo Martinez said Bonoan remains closely watched even if he later chooses to move from the U.S. to another country.
Martinez described the situation as “bantay sarado” (strictly guarded) following the issuance of an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Board (ILBO).
"Being under the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order, this means that there is real-time monitoring and reporting of all his movements," he said. "So, bantay sarado po, ng Kagawaran ng Katarungan at ng gobyerno ang bawat galaw ni Mr. Bonoan (Every movement of Mr. Bonoan is strictly guarded by the DOJ and the government).”
"Ang pasaporte niya magkakamarka. At dahil po doon (His passport will be marked. And because of that), there is real-time monitoring through the Bureau of Immigration to the DOJ," he added.
Martinez said the ILBO is the government's recourse, as the right to travel under the Constitution may only be limited by a court-issued hold-departure-order (HDO) when a case is already filed.
"ILBO guarantees that every movement of any citizen who is under the ILBO will be monitored and reported to the proper authorities," he said.
The spokesperson said the tracking is immediate.
"That's immediate. So, habang nakatayo po siya doon sa (while standing before) immigration, they check his or her name, and then they see that his or her name is listed there under ILBO, right away, i-report po yan sa amin (it will be reported to us)," he said.
If Bonoan overstays his visa in the United States, he said it will be up to the US government to act on it. (PNA)