MANILA — Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Manuel Bonoan filed his counter-affidavit in the plunder complaint against him at the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“We submitted a counter-affidavit,” Bonoan said in an ambush interview.

Other respondents in the complaint include Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, former DPWH undersecretaries Maria Catalina Cabral and Roberto Bernardo, former DPWH regional director Gerard Opulencia, and former district engineer Henry Alcantara.

According to DOJ spokesperson Atty. Polo Martinez, the plunder complaint is not limited to a single project or locality. It covers allegations of acquiring ill-gotten wealth amounting to over P50 million, allegedly obtained through a series of transactions.

Bonoan also confirmed plans to leave for the United States, though he did not specify a departure date.

“Ayan nakapag paalam na (I already asked),” he said. When asked if the DOJ agreed, Bonoan nodded and replied, “yeah.”

Martinez clarified that the DOJ does not have the authority to grant or restrict travel for respondents, noting that “travel by respondents can only be restricted by the courts.” He added that Bonoan’s request may be taken as a gesture of good faith but carries “no legal nor procedural bearing.”

Bonoan previously left for the United States via Taiwan in November 2025 to accompany his wife for a medical procedure and returned to the Philippines on January 18, 2026. He has denied allegations of receiving over P2 billion in kickbacks from government projects.

The next preliminary hearing for the plunder complaint is scheduled on February 23, Monday.