UNRESOLVED issues involving former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Manuel Bonoan, as well as the controversial acquisition of a luxury property in South Forbes, Makati City, may take center stage in the next hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigating alleged irregularities in flood control projects, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said on Thursday.
Lacson, who chairs the committee, said Bonoan still has several matters to clarify, particularly the submission of erroneous grid coordinates for flood control projects contained in a report earlier transmitted to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“We can focus the next hearing on secretary Bonoan to tackle other issues he can clarify. He is in the country, so he can address the issues involving him,” Lacson said in a radio interview, speaking in a mix of English and Filipino.
The investigation stems from complaints and data submitted through the administration’s “Sumbong sa Pangulo” platform, which allows citizens to report alleged anomalies in government projects, including “ghost” flood control works.
Lacson cited testimony during the committee’s most recent hearing, where DPWH Undersecretaries Arthur Bisnar and Ricardo Bernabe III presented data showing what he described as a “clear pattern” in the use of incorrect grid coordinates.
“If it were just a few projects with wrong coordinates, we could attribute that to negligence,” Lacson said. “But when more than 86 percent of the projects have incorrect coordinates, we can already say this is deliberate.” He warned that the submission of faulty data could have broader implications beyond discrediting the public complaints website. It could also weaken potential criminal cases involving ghost flood control projects.
“For example, if a case is filed using data from the Sumbong sa Pangulo website as evidence, the defense can question the credibility of that data. That could be one long-term motive for submitting wrong information,” Lacson said.
In an earlier interview, he said the committee would not hesitate to exercise its powers if witnesses prove evasive. He noted that Bonoan could be cited in contempt, which may result not only in the issuance of an arrest order but also detention at the Senate.
Lacson also said the committee is considering expanding its inquiry to include the 2023 purchase of a house and lot at 30 Tamarind Road in South Forbes, reportedly worth at least P1 billion.
Records obtained by the committee show that the buyer was Golden Pheasant Holdings Corp., whose major stockholder is Jose Raulito Paras.
Lacson said Paras has previously held senior positions in at least three companies linked to former speaker Martin Romualdez.
For the next hearing, Lacson said the committee could invite Romualdez again, or request the presence of officials from the Securities and Exchange Commission, to shed light on the property’s ownership structure and transaction details.
Lacson also pointed to testimony from two staff members of the property’s former tenant, who told the committee earlier this week that contractor Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II instructed them to vacate the house in preparation for the new owner. The witnesses also positively identified Discaya during the hearing.
Paras, meanwhile, is expected to be summoned to explain his role in the transaction and his financial capacity to acquire the property.
Lacson emphasized that the Senate inquiry is not meant to establish criminal liability, but rather to support potential legislation and assist investigative agencies.