Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has revealed that former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan received handwritten “memos” from civilians or non-DPWH personnel endorsing public works projects during his time at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“I am baffled by the documents I saw, where Bonoan received handwritten memos that turned out to be from civilians. How did these Post-It notes reach the secretary?” Lacson said in Filipino during an interview on DZBB.
He said the communications did not pass through official channels, raising questions about how project endorsements were being handled.
The revelation adds to a series of alleged irregularities in the DPWH that the Senate is investigating, particularly on anomalous and substandard flood control projects.
Lacson earlier flagged the so-called “leadership fund” that, according to Bonoan, consolidates lawmakers’ project proposals for the National Expenditure Program (NEP). The senator said this allowed legislators to meddle with the budget before its authorization by Congress.
He also cited how some lawmakers’ requests were altered by the DPWH, indicating that kickbacks may be prioritized over actual infrastructure needs.
Lacson said the Blue Ribbon probe could expand to include other projects such as farm-to-market roads. The committee is set to resume hearings on November 14, with a new witness and retired Marine T/Sgt. Orly Guteza among those to be subpoenaed.|
