Romualdez camp surprised, alarmed by Bonoan’s removal; no link to flood control scam

THE camp of former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Friday expressed alarm and surprise over the decision of the Sandiganbayan to drop ex-Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonan from a flood control scam-related plunder case.

Ade Fajardo, Romualdez’s legal counsel-spokesman, also reiterated that the former DPWH secretary or any DPWH engineer or official has not linked the Leyte congressman to any flood control irregularity.

He said the dropping of Bonoan from the plunder and graft case he was facing with other accused, including Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, was not only surprising and alarming but was disturbing as well.

“Iyang naging desisyon po ay alarming at nakakagulat, ‘yan po ay nakakabahala,” Fajardo said.

He recalled that when the Ombudsman created a special panel to conduct a preliminary investigation on Romualdez, no one in the DPWH has made any allegation against the former Speaker.

“Going back from the very start to put everything in context po, nang magsimula itong reklamo ng special panel against Congressman Romualdez, wala pong anumang salaysay doon, wala po man lang kahit ni isang taga-DPWH, ni isang statement from Secretary Bonoan, kahit doon sa Blue Ribbon Committee, kahit doon sa Independent Commission for Infrastructure wala pong nag-uugnay kay Congressman Romualdez,” he stressed.

“Ibig sabihin, wala silang makita na partikular na DPWH project kung saan nag-participate o allegedly nag-impluwensiya si Congressman Romualdez para maapektuhan ang resulta, para manalo ang isang partikular na contractor. Walang ganung alegasyon kaya nakakagulat na si Secretary Bonoan all of a sudden is now available as a potential witness,” he said.

“And then suddenly, malaya na siya at granted ang immunity practically kasi hindi na siya akusado,” he added.

Fajardo has asserted that there was no longer any “credible evidence” against his client with the retraction by five Maleta Boys, including start witness Orly Guteza, of their allegations against Romualdez, supported by assertions from 25 other witnesses belying the claims of the original 18 Maleta Boys.