Pangilinan quizzes Bonoan anew on resignation

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan once again pressed Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan on why he has not resigned amid revelations of anomalous flood control projects.

"Trillions of pesos worth of flood control ghost projects: The question is, why hasn't [Bonoan] resigned yet?" Pangilinan asked in a radio interview on Thursday, 28 August.

Reports of substandard and non-existent flood control projects have been making headlines since July, when President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. flagged alleged ghost projects in his fourth State of the Nation Address and ordered a probe.

"Because there are only two: You got away with trillions of pesos of stolen money from corruption, or if you didn't get away with it, you're an accomplice, you're involved," Pangilinan said.

"So it's either incompetence or corruption. Either way, why are you still there?" he added.

For his part, Bonoan earlier said he would not step down and would instead continue leading the investigation into the anomalies.

In a separate radio interview, the DPWH chief said Marcos told him to proceed with the inquiry. When asked whether the President had signaled any intent to remove him from office, Bonoan said there had been none.