JANUARY 15, 2026 — Former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan didn’t just make a mistake — he allegedly duped the President. Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson revealed that Bonoan deliberately submitted fake grid coordinates of thousands of flood control projects to Malacañang, misleading President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and throwing off the investigation into ghost projects worth billions. And just as the scandal heats up, Bonoan is conveniently out of the country, citing a “personal trip” to the United States.

Lacson called it as he saw it: “Even if he insists he is not a principal player, we can very clearly see his complicity in covering up the crime.” 

That’s not just political rhetoric but a direct accusation that Bonoan played a role in hiding corruption behind projects that were supposed to protect Filipinos from floods.

Flood control projects aren’t just lines on a government spreadsheet. They’re supposed to be walls, canals, drainage systems — the very defenses that keep our homes from drowning every rainy season. If these projects are fake, then what we’re left with is fake protection, fake progress, and real suffering.

According to Lacson, Bonoan’s bogus data formed part of the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website, which was meant to empower citizens to report anomalies. Instead, it was poisoned with false information. 

“This resulted in grossly inaccurate data involving some 421 ghost projects,” Lacson said, adding that the DPWH is now scrambling to cross-check records in their planning systems.

But here’s the twist: Bonoan is abroad. He says it’s personal, but Lacson warns his stay in the US can only last six months before becoming unauthorized. Will he return to face the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on January 19 — or is this a calculated escape route?

Let’s be blunt. When a former Cabinet secretary accused of billions in kickbacks suddenly leaves the country right before a subpoena, the optics are terrible. Filipinos are left wondering: accountability or alibi?

Lacson isn’t buying Bonoan’s defense. He pointed out that Bonoan’s earlier contestations about ghost projects in Mindoro now make sense — because Bonoan himself had supplied the wrong data. 

“That could be why he claimed the grid coordinates in the projects we cited were wrong — because he knew he gave the wrong data,” Lacson explained.

The senator also warned that Bonoan’s actions could undermine the credibility of the Sumbong sa Pangulo platform. 

“He is misleading the Palace to weaken or discredit the investigation into ghost flood control projects. If several projects in the Sumbong Sa Pangulo website turn out to be false, people will think it is not reliable.” 

And there lies the danger. Once the public loses trust in accountability tools, corruption wins twice — first by stealing, and second by eroding faith in reform.

Meanwhile, the Blue Ribbon Committee is preparing to subpoena DPWH documents, including those left by the late Undersecretary Catalina Cabral. DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon has promised to send undersecretaries to testify. 

But will Bonoan show up? If not, Lacson says he’ll be cited in contempt, and a legislative arrest warrant may follow. The committee is even prepared to coordinate with Philippine Ambassador to the US Babe Romualdez to arrange deportation if necessary.

This scandal also has side plots — like the curious involvement of MMDA General Manager Nicolas Torre III, who allegedly tried to take former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo into his custody. 

Lacson himself admitted, “It is still a big wonder sa akin bakit napasok sa scene si Gen. Torre.” 

(It is still a big wonder to me why Torre entered the scene). 

Add to that reports of the so-called “BGC Boys” recanting testimonies, and you have a corruption drama that feels more like a teleserye than governance.

But let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture. This isn’t just about Bonoan, Lacson, or the DPWH. This is about us, the Filipino people, who pay taxes, who endure floods, who are promised infrastructure that never materializes. Every ghost project is a betrayal. Every fake coordinate is a slap in the face of communities waiting for real flood protection.

So we ask: Will Bonoan return to face the music, or will he stretch his US stay until it becomes illegal? Was this “personal trip” really personal, or was it a strategic exit? And most importantly, how many more ghost projects are out there, waiting to be uncovered?

Corruption thrives in silence, but accountability begins when the people refuse to look away.

(Image: Philippine News Agency)