MANILA — The camp of former House Speaker and Leyte congressman Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Thursday questioned the timing of former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan’s reported plan to testify as a state witness in the multibillion-peso flood control investigation, suggesting the former Cabinet official may be under pressure to implicate the congressman despite the absence of evidence.
Lawyer Ade Fajardo, one of Romualdez’s spokespersons, said Bonoan had never linked the former Speaker to the alleged anomalies since the controversy surfaced in July 2025, making his reported willingness to testify only now “highly questionable.”
“Nakakapagtaka kasi nga ngayon siyempre nasa hospital arrest (si Bonoan). May posibilidad na… ma-clear siya medically, siya ay ililipat sa regular na kulungan. Yan ay siyempre medyo maraming pressure sa utak niya,” Fajardo said in a radio interview.
Fajardo said Bonoan’s offer to become a state witness had fueled speculation that he could be asked to testify against Romualdez in connection with the alleged irregularities.
“Bigla na lang parang nagkaroon ng perfect memory si Bonoan in case totoo nga yung balita na siya ay tetestigo para lamang ituro itong si dating Speaker Romualdez,” he said.
Asked whether he believed Bonoan was being manipulated, Fajardo said they had no proof but said such a possibility could not be dismissed.
“Hindi namin alam yan as a fact. Pero siyempre bilang nag-iisip tayo lahat. Hindi malayong posibilidad na maraming factors pumapasok sa isip ni Bonoan,” he said.
Fajardo also questioned why Bonoan had not earlier disclosed any alleged information against Romualdez if he had supposedly known about the alleged anomalies all along.
“Kaya nga kung noon pa man alam niya na pala lahat ito, bakit hindi niya isiniwalat at bakit ngayon lang lumalabas na tila bagang walang usad sa fact-finding investigation? Kaya kami siyempre hindi mo masisi na nag-iisip bakit nagkakaganito ngayon,” he said.
He pointed out that the investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman remains in the fact-finding stage and has yet to proceed to a preliminary investigation.
Fajardo reiterated that there is no evidence linking Romualdez to the alleged flood control anomalies.
“Wala talagang ebidensya kasi wala talagang kinalaman si dating Speaker dito sa flood control anomaly. Pag ganyan walang ebidensya pero madami nang sinasabi ang mga kinauukulan na malakas ang kaso, medyo ang dating sa amin yan ay bola yan. Kasi hanggang ngayon walang naisasampang kaso sa korte, walang criminal cases,” he said.
“Ibig sabihin, walang ebidensya o kakulangan ng ebidensya ay sobrang lawak na mahirap punan ng kwento-kwento lang,” he added.
Last month, the Office of the Ombudsman announced that it had accepted Bonoan’s offer to become a state witness, saying he could testify regarding the alleged involvement of Romualdez in the flood control controversy./PN
