JANUARY 18, 2026 — Former DPWH secretary Manuel Bonoan has quietly slipped back into Manila, landing on a China Airlines flight from Taipei this Sunday, January 18. The Bureau of Immigration confirmed his arrival, noting he came alone and was immediately reported to Acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida. 

For a man tagged in one of the country’s most controversial infrastructure scandals, this return is nothing short of astonishing.

Let’s not forget: Bonoan left the Philippines last November 2025 for the US, supposedly to accompany his wife for a medical procedure. He promised to return by December 17, but failed to do so. All the while, he was under an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order — meant to monitor his movements after being linked to anomalous flood control projects. 

Yet here he is, back on home soil, without fanfare.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson earlier accused Bonoan of deliberately feeding false data to Malacañang about “ghost” flood control projects. 

Lacson said, “very reliable information” showed the data led to incorrect grid coordinates of thousands of projects nationwide. If true, this isn’t just sloppy governance — it’s sabotage of accountability. And with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure already recommending charges over a P95-million flood control project in Bulacan, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

The public deserves answers. Will Bonoan finally face the music, or will this be another case of a high-profile official slipping through the cracks? His silence is deafening, and Filipinos are left wondering if justice will ever catch up with those who toyed with billions meant to protect communities from floods.

Surprised he came back? So are we. But the bigger surprise will be if his return actually leads to truth, accountability, and consequences.

(Image: Bureau of Immigration)