Bonoan released; Romualdez questions court move

MANILA, Philippines - Three months after he surrendered over plunder and graft charges, former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Manuel Bonoan was released from detention yesterday morning.

The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division on Thursday ordered Bonoan's release after he was excluded as an accused in the plunder and graft cases of over P573 million worth of alleged kickbacks from flood control projects.

The camp of former speaker Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez has questioned Bonoan's release.

Romualdez's legal counsel and spokesman Ade Fajardo said the development was "alarming, surprising and disturbing," especially now that Bonoan has been freed and could now become a witness in other flood-control related charges.

Fajardo said neither Bonoan nor any DPWH engineer or official had linked Romualdez to any flood control irregularity before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, Independent Commission for Infrastructure and even the ombudsman's special panel of investigators.