Photo courtesy of Philippine News Agency (PNA).
The Sandiganbayan Third Division has ordered former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan to testify in the malversation case against former Sen. Bong Revilla.
The subpoena, issued Aug. 7, was sent to the Philippine National Police General Hospital, where Bonoan is under hospital arrest.
The court also directed the PNP Health Service to present Bonoan before the anti-graft court for his testimony.
Bonoan, 80, had been granted hospital arrest because of several health conditions, including diabetes, hypertension and chronic kidney disease.
He is separately facing plunder and graft charges with Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, but the Office of the Ombudsman had accepted his offer to become a state witness. Prosecutors later moved to have the cases against him dismissed, although the Sandiganbayan Second Division denied the motion in his graft case.
The subpoena followed a request from Deputy Special Prosecutor Omar Sagadal during Revilla’s trial last week.
Former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo had testified that Bonoan exercised discretion over part of the agency’s budget, including allocations for projects allegedly requested by lawmakers.
Bernardo earlier claimed that Revilla obtained about Php 1.5 billion in project allocations and allegedly received around Php 500 million in kickbacks. Revilla, who is out on Php 1 million bail, has repeatedly denied involvement in the alleged Php 92.8-million ghost project in Pandi, Bulacan.