FORMER Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel “Manny” Bonoan has returned to the Philippines ahead of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s resumption of hearings on the alleged flood control scam.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced that Bonoan arrived Sunday morning (January 18) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City aboard China Airlines Flight CI0701 from Taipei.
Bonoan left the country on November 11, 2025, to accompany his wife for a scheduled medical procedure in the United States.
The former DPWH chief remains listed under an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) issued upon orders of the Department of Justice amid ongoing investigations into alleged irregularities involving flood control projects.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, chaired by Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, will resume its inquiry into the scam this Monday (January 19, 2026).
According to the BI, Bonoan arrived unaccompanied. The bureau clarified that an ILBO does not prevent an individual from traveling abroad but allows authorities to receive immediate notification regarding the entry or exit of persons linked to ongoing probes.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado confirmed that details of Bonoan’s arrival have been forwarded to DOJ Acting Secretary Frederick Vida as part of standard protocol.