The Department of Justice on Wednesday confirmed that former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan has left the Philippines for the United States to attend to his wife’s medical needs.

According to DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez, Bonoan informed the department of his trip, which reportedly followed his wife’s recent surgical procedure. Bonoan is expected to return to the Philippines by 17 December.

Martinez said, “Upon conferring with the Bureau of Immigration, we confirmed there were no pending cases or hold departure orders against him. Therefore, there was no legal barrier to his travel."

He added that Bonoan’s situation reflects the constitutional right to travel, which applies to all citizens without pending cases.

“This is not unique to former Secretary Bonoan. Any individual without a pending case cannot be restrained from leaving the country,” Martinez said.

He explained that Bonoan’s movements are being monitored under the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) system, which tracks and reports in real time any travel by listed individuals. This allows authorities to immediately verify whether a person has any pending legal cases before leaving the country.

If Bonoan does not return by 17 December as planned, Martinez said his stay will then be governed by the terms of his U.S. visa.