Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Wednesday expressed skepticism over former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan’s claim that he was unaware of the corruption surrounding substandard and non-existent flood control projects under his agency.
Lacson criticized Bonoan for expressing surprise during the last Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on alleged irregularities in flood control projects, particularly those in the Bulacan First District Engineering Office.
“He retired from the DPWH in 2010 after staying for so many years and rising from the ranks. He should know what's happening on the ground,” Lacson told reporters in an ambush interview.
“For him to say that he did not monitor these, there are only two implications—either he is in on the corruption, or he is incompetent,” he added.
Bonoan, who previously served as DPWH secretary and held various roles within the department throughout his career, claimed during the hearing that he was unaware of widespread anomalies involving ghost projects, document fabrication, and rigged bidding processes.
Lacson, a former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), drew a parallel with his own experience in government service, saying that rising through the ranks should provide a clear understanding of operational realities and possible abuses on the ground.
“As someone who rose from the ranks, you should have experience in the field and you should know the shenanigans being committed there,” Lacson said.
The senator stressed that the corruption now being uncovered did not begin recently, but has long plagued the agency.
“It’s only now that they were exposed, but they have been happening for a long time,” he added.