Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan has been named a respondent in a plunder complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

This was confirmed by Department of Justice (DoJ) spokesperson Polo Martinez to reporters on Monday.

Martinez said Bonoan is a co-respondent in the plunder case against Senator Jinggoy Estrada, which includes other charges linked to alleged irregularities in flood control projects.

Martinez clarified that the complaint was not limited to a single project or location. Instead, it involved allegations of ill-gotten wealth amounting to more than P50 million, purportedly obtained through a series or combination of transactions connected to flood control projects.

“There is no schedule yet for the preliminary investigation,” Martinez said, explaining that the complaint still has to be assigned to a panel of prosecutors. “The case will be assigned to a panel of handling prosecutors.”

Subpoenas, he added, will only be issued once the panel is formally designated. Further details of the allegations are expected to emerge once the preliminary investigation begins.