THE Sandiganbayan Third Division has summoned former Department of Public Works and Highways secretary Manuel Bonoan to appear and testify in the plunder case against former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.
The subpoena was issued on August 7 and served at the PNP General Hospital, where Bonoan remains under hospital arrest due to age and health conditions. The court explicitly ordered PNP Health Service Director Portia Manalad to produce Bonoan in person before the tribunal, stating: “You are hereby commanded to appear and testify before the Sandiganbayan, Third Division.”
The 80‑year‑old former DPWH chief is currently confined and under medical care for diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and other ailments — conditions that led the court to allow him to serve his arrest at the hospital rather than in a regular detention facility.
Despite his health status, the Third Division has determined his testimony is necessary to the proceedings against Revilla, underscoring the importance of his evidence to the prosecution’s case.
Bonoan’s role in the broader corruption cases is complex. Originally a co‑accused alongside Senator Jinggoy Estrada in separate plunder and graft charges, he was accepted by the Office of the Ombudsman as a proposed state witness in exchange for his testimony.
Prosecutors have filed motions to drop the charges against him, but the Sandiganbayan Second Division — which handles the cases where Bonoan is a defendant — has so far denied the government’s motion to exclude him from liability. The conflicting rulings mean Bonoan remains an accused in one case while being called as a prosecution witness in another, creating a legal situation that is expected to be clarified as the proceedings move forward.
metrosundaily
