MANILA — Unresolved issues involving former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan and the acquisition of a house and lot in South Forbes, Makati City, may be the focus of the next hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the alleged flood control anomalies, Senate President Pro Tempore and committee chairperson Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said.

Lacson said Bonoan still has several matters to explain, including what he described as a “pattern” of wrong grid coordinates for flood control projects in the report submitted to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“We can focus the next hearing on Bonoan to tackle other issues he can clarify. He is in the country so he can address the issues involving him,” Lacson said in an interview on DZMM radio.

He noted that during the previous hearing, DPWH Undersecretaries Arthur Bisnar and Ricardo Bernabe III presented data showing a “clear pattern” in the submission of incorrect grid coordinates for flood control projects.

Lacson said that if only a few projects had incorrect coordinates, it could have been considered inadvertent or due to negligence. However, he pointed out that more than 86 percent of the projects reportedly carried wrong grid coordinates.

“But with over 86 percent, we can say this is deliberate,” he said.

The senator said he is not discounting the possibility that the submission of wrong data was intended not only to discredit the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website, which lists flood control project locations, but also to undermine the prosecution of cases involving alleged ghost flood control projects.

“For example, a case is filed using data from the Sumbong sa Pangulo website as evidence. The defense can question the website’s credibility. That is one possible long-term motive for submitting wrong data,” Lacson said.

In a separate interview on DZBB, Lacson said Bonoan could be cited in contempt and detained by the committee if he becomes evasive during questioning.

“He could be detained, not just issued an arrest warrant,” he said.

Lacson also said the committee may look into the 2023 purchase of a house and lot at 30 Tamarind Road in South Forbes, Makati City, where contractor Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II was reportedly involved.

He said the Blue Ribbon Committee may invite former Speaker Martin Romualdez or a representative of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to clarify details of the purchase. Records showed that the buyer was Golden Pheasant Holdings Corp., whose major stockholder is Jose Raulito Paras, who has held senior positions in at least three companies linked to the former Speaker.

“For the next Blue Ribbon hearing, we can invite Romualdez anew and course the invitation through Speaker Faustino Dy III. If he wants to attend he is welcome to come and air his side. But he cannot be forced to come due to inter-parliamentary courtesy,” Lacson said.

He added that two staff members of the property’s former tenant testified before the committee that Discaya instructed them to vacate the house to prepare it for the new owner, and that they positively identified Discaya during the hearing.

Lacson said Paras will also be invited to explain his financial capacity to acquire the property, which is reportedly worth at least P1 billion.

“We will invite Atty. Paras and if he says Golden Pheasant and not former Speaker Romualdez bought the property, he can explain to the Bureau of Internal Revenue what his financial capacity is to buy the house, which is quite expensive,” he said.

“I am not saying this is enough to implicate the former Speaker. What I am saying is that it will provide leads to investigators because the Senate investigation is not for prosecution but is in aid of legislation. At the same time, we can forward the appropriate evidence to the investigating agencies,” Lacson added.