Palace verifying Lacson claim vs Bonoan over wrong flood data

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday said it is still verifying information from Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson that former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan “deliberately” provided incorrect grid coordinates of flood control projects for the Sumbong sa Pangulo website.

According to Palace press officer Claire Castro, she cannot comment on the matter until the information is confirmed.

READ: Lacson: Bonoan ‘deliberately’ sent wrong anti-flood locations to Palace

“At the moment, we are still verifying what Sen. Lacson said, so we cannot provide details yet and we need to verify everything first,” she said at a press briefing.

Lacson, citing information from a source whose identity he did not disclose, alleged that Bonoan intentionally sent Malacañang “incorrect grid coordinates” to cover up ghost projects.

“What he’s covering up is that he’s somehow complicit in the ghost flood control [projects]. So he’s misleading to weaken the theory… or to ruin the credibility that the ghost flood control [projects] are really ghost,” the senator explained on Wednesday.

“Because when three, four or five ghost flood control projects fail, it means the Sumbong sa Pangulo website is not reliable. The ghost flood control projects lose credibility — that they’re not really ghost. Probably, that’s what I think his motive is,” he suspected. 

Meanwhile, at Thursday’s briefing, Castro said all Cabinet officials implicated in the flood control controversy who resigned and left the country may still be held liable.

“Even if they are in another country, they can still be pursued under Philippine law, and if necessary, they can be charged with a case. If there is evidence to present, they will remain accused if they do not return to the Philippines,” she said.

This was a reiteration of her statements last November 2025 that the Cabinet officials’ resignation does not exempt them from being held accountable.

She said this following the resignation of Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and the removal of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.

Bonoan left the country on Nov. 11, 2025, supposedly to accompany his spouse for a medical procedure in the United States, despite being the subject of an immigration lookout bulletin due to the flood control issue. 

The Bureau of Immigration previously said Bonoan has yet to return to the country, despite an arrival date of Dec. 17, 2025. /das