World · Philippines Bureau
Sandiganbayan dismisses graft charges against ex-Public Works chief Bonoan
The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division has removed former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan as an accused in two cases involving an alleged P573-million kickback scheme. The dismissal clears him of plunder and graft charges linked to the high-profile corruption investigation.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division has dropped plunder and graft charges against former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, eliminating him as an accused in two cases tied to an alleged P573-million kickback scheme. The anti-graft court's decision marks a significant development in the long-running corruption investigation that had implicated the former cabinet official. A member of the Fifth Division confirmed that Bonoan is no longer listed as an accused in either case before the appellate panel. The cases had centered on allegations of corruption within the Department of Public Works and Highways, with investigators claiming kickbacks were siphoned through irregular transactions. The exact reasons for the dismissal were not immediately detailed in available court records. The removal of Bonoan as an accused reduces the number of individuals facing charges in what had been one of the more prominent corruption cases brought before the anti-graft tribunal in recent years.