THE Sandiganbayan has denied the Office of the Ombudsman’s request to drop the charges against detained former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Manuel Bonoan, who is a co-accused of Senator Jinggoy Estrada in graft cases involving alleged irregularities in the use of public funds for flood control projects.
In a resolution promulgated on Monday, August 3, 2026, the anti-graft court’s Second Division denied the prosecution’s Motion for Leave to File Amended Information seeking to remove Bonoan from the cases, ruling that the motion lacked merit.
“The proposed amended information removes the only co-accused and purported conspirator of accused Estrada from the case, thereby modifying the theory of criminal liability from one predicated on conspiracy to one imposing individual liability on the part of accused Estrada,” the resolution read.
“Thus, the Court finds that accused Estrada will be prejudiced if the amendment will be allowed at this stage of the proceedings,” it added.
The cases against Estrada and Bonoan stem from an alleged scheme involving illegal budget insertions and project allocations within the DPWH infrastructure budget for fiscal year 2025.
Estrada allegedly received P573 million in kickbacks by channeling funds to designated infrastructure projects through the budget insertions.
The prosecution earlier said it wanted Bonoan to become a state witness in its ongoing investigation into alleged anomalies in government flood control projects, including those involving former House Speaker and Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez. This was the basis for its request to remove Bonoan as an accused.
The Sandiganbayan, however, clarified that its decision to retain Bonoan as a respondent “does not prejudge” his potential value as a state witness or the credibility and probative value of any testimony he may later provide.
The court added that the prosecution may renew its request at an appropriate stage of the proceedings. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)