Manila: The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has formally requested the Office of the Ombudsman to prosecute several former officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), including ex-Secretary Manuel Bonoan. This action is in response to their alleged involvement in a PHP95-million flood control project in Barangay Bambang, Bocaue, Bulacan, which was reportedly never constructed despite full payment being made to the contractor, Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc.

According to Philippines News Agency, the ICI’s inspections revealed that no structure was built at the designated location, prompting the commission to take legal action against those involved. In addition to Manuel Bonoan, the report names former Undersecretaries Roberto Bernardo and Maria Catalina Cabral, former DPWH-Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara, and former assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez as key figures in the alleged scheme.

The report also implicates other former DPWH officials, including Jaime Hernandez, Ernesto Galang, John Carlo Rivera, John Michael Marcos, Claudine Magdalene Magsakay, and Ericka Justine Chico. The ICI’s 19-page interim report claims these individuals orchestrated a plan to deceive the government and unlawfully appropriate public funds for a non-existent project, which is described as causing significant harm to the State and the Filipino people.

The ICI has recommended that administrative charges be filed against the implicated individuals for grave misconduct, gross dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service. These charges are in line with violations of Republic Act 6713, also known as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, particularly concerning the contract’s implementation.