Sandiganbayan OKs hospital arrest for ex-DPWH chief Bonoan

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division has “partially granted” the motion of former Public Works and Highways (DPWH) chief Manuel Bonoan for hospital arrest as he faces a non-bailable plunder case. 

In a resolution dated June 4, but was only shared to the media on Friday, the anti-graft court division said it partially granted the “Urgent Ex Abudanti Ad Cautelam Motion to Allow Accused Manuel Manligas Bonoan Under Hospital Arrest While Case is Pending” filed by his camp on June 1.

Bonoan, 80, also asked the court if he could be allowed to be confined under hospital arrest at The Medical City in Pasig City. However, the court only allowed him to be confined at the Philippine National Police General Hospital in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

“The court partially grants accused Bonoan’s motion,” the seven-page resolution stated.

“In here, accused Bonoan has established that his detention in a regular jail facility would pose a real, imminent and irreparable danger to his life,” it further noted.

According to a medical certificate dated May 29 issued by the accused’s personal physician, which was later submitted to the court, Bonoan was suffering from Stage IV chronic renal disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, gouty arthritis, a spinal condition called spondylolisthesis, and prostate cancer.

Another medical certificate of Bonoan dated June 1 stated that the former DPWH secretary is suffering from hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, Chronic Kidney Disease stage 4, electrolyte imbalance, and Severe Coronary Artery Disease with stenosis and probable thrombus formation in his coronary arteries, and heart enlargement.

Because of this, Bonoan’s lawyers said he requires continuous clinical monitoring and immediate access to specialized emergency care.

They said the Medical City has specialized equipment, advanced facilities and clinical interventions, unlike nearby government hospitals which they said “lack the immediate capability and equipment to manage his complex cardiac and medical condition.”

Bonoan’s camp also argued that he is not a flight risk, since he voluntarily returned to the country from the United States in January 2026 to attend the Senate blue ribbon committee hearings on the flood control probe.

For its part, Office of the Ombudsman prosecutors opposed Bonoan’s motion, saying his “justifications” are “insufficient and questionable.”

State prosecutors also questioned the authenticity of the medical certificates since “they are unauthenticated photographs rather than an original or photocopу.”

They also said Bonoan’s assertion that nearby government medical facilities lack specialized equipment “is purely speculative because he failed to name any specific hospital or provide evidence that they indeed lack the specialized equipment and treatment he requires.”

However, the court recognized the medical certifications from Bonoan. 

“While the Prosecution argues that the medical certificates submitted by the defense are unauthenticated photographs of medical certificates, the medical findings therein are something that the court cannot ignore to prevent an irreversible incident,” the resolution said.

Meanwhile, the court notes the accused’s voluntary return to the country in January to cooperate with the Senate blue ribbon committee probe. The court also noted that Bonoan even submitted to its jurisdiction when the warrant was issued in these cases. 

“These overt acts reflect accused’s respect for the legal processes and willingness to face the charges against him,” the resolution also said.

Bonoan did not attend his arraignment before the Fifth Division due to his condition.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and three other DPWH officials are also co-accused in the plunder and graft case before the antigraft division.

The arraignment of Estrada and Bonoan was moved to June 30, pending their motion to quash.

Three other co-accused already pleaded not guilty on Thursday.

Last week, the Ombudsman charged Estrada in the Sandiganbayan over accusations of receiving up to P573 million in kickbacks from an alleged manipulation of flood control project allocations for 2025. Estrada has strongly denied all the charges. /gsg /apl