Jails readied for first ‘Floodgate’ suspects

The government has stepped up its crackdown on anomalous projects nationwide, with the first arrests expected soon, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon confirmed Wednesday.

Dizon disclosed the non-bailable charges against 40 individuals linked to alleged fraudulent projects in Bulacan and Oriental Mindoro, in an interview shortly after the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s (ICI) coordination meeting with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Office of the Ombudsman at Camp Crame, Quezon City.

The command conference, he said, was aimed at streamlining the validation process and expanding the coverage of ongoing project inspections.

“The goal is to coordinate and validate our current list of priority projects, especially the suspected ghost projects,” Dizon explained.

“We are making sure the teams led by General Azurin and Usec. Bisnar, together with the NBI, PNP and AFP, can systematically cover all sites, validate documents, and expedite the filing of cases.”

He said the operation involves multiple teams, each consisting of lawyers, engineers, and personnel with full access to DPWH documentation.

This structure is meant to ensure that inspections are thorough and that all the necessary legal and technical requirements are met before cases are filed, he said.

According to Dizon, the initial list of suspected projects was validated by AFP and PNP personnel on the ground, and their participation remains crucial for verification.

“They were the ones in the field initially, so they are still part of the process,” he said.

Cases non-bailable

Dizon also provided updates on the legal process for those implicated in the first cases filed with the Ombudsman.

“The individuals in the first cases filed are expected to be arrested because these are non-bailable cases,” he told reporters.

The DPWH chief cited ongoing cases in Bulacan and Oriental Mindoro, involving contractor-couple Curlee and Sarah Discaya, DPWH engineers Henry Alcantara and Brice Hernandez, and former Congressman Zaldy Co.

“In these first two cases alone, around 40 people are expected to be detained,” Dizon said, noting that the Ombudsman aims to file the cases this month, before the holiday season.

“Based on what the Ombudsman said yesterday, it’s almost certain. From my personal count, there are 26 cases in Bulacan and roughly 15 in Oriental Mindoro, so that alone makes about 40 cases,” he added.

Bonoan leaves for U.S.

Meanwhile, the DoJ on Wednesday confirmed that former Public Works secretary Manuel Bonoan had left the Philippines for the United States along with his wife.

DoJ spokesperson Polo Martinez said 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 order against him. Therefore, there was no legal barrier to his travel.”

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

If Bonoan does not return by 17 December, Martinez said the terms of his US visa will then govern his stay there.