EDITORIAL— Bonoan as state witness

An accused in a criminal case is allowed to turn state witness if he or she is not deemed to be the most guilty and if the case hinges on the testimony, which is expected to pin down someone ranked higher than the accused.

From the start, the move of Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla to tap former public works secretary Manuel Bonoan as a state witness in the flood control corruption scandal had stirred controversy.

Among the vocal critics was Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who said that based on testimonies and documents provided by other witnesses in the flood control scandal, Bonoan received approximately P1.678 billion in dirty money from anomalous projects as secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Lacson did acknowledge that Bonoan might help pin down officials ranked higher, among them former House speaker Martin Romualdez. But Lacson said restitution of at least P1 billion of the alleged ill-gotten wealth must be part of the deal if Bonoan would be allowed to turn state witness.

Remulla has said that he indeed wanted Bonoan as a state witness for the possible plunder and malversation cases being eyed against Romualdez. The ombudsman had asked the Sandiganbayan to allow Bonoan’s exclusion as a co-accused in the plunder case filed against Sen. Jinggoy Estrada.

The Sandiganbayan initially rejected the ombudsman’s petition, but reversed the decision and granted it. Yesterday, the anti-graft court ordered Bonoan released. The former public works chief had been detained in a police hospital since his arrest, ostensibly due to illnesses including cancer.

As Bonoan regains his freedom, he must be considered for witness protection, especially in the light of what has happened to several former Marines who had hurled serious accusations of wrongdoing against Romualdez.

Remulla has yet to disclose the conditions for dropping Bonoan as Estrada’s co-defendant. Perhaps restitution will be required.

Whatever the conditions for his exclusion as a co-accused, Bonoan is seen as one of the major players in the flood control mess. The ombudsman will have to show that dropping Bonoan from the plunder case will be worth it.