DPWH chief vows full SALN disclosure, strengthens anti-corruption drive
By Trixee Rosel
At A Glance
- DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan pledges full SALN disclosure to promote transparency.
- Anti-Corruption Task Force set up to probe questionable projects.
- President Marcos orders fast-track investigations into flood control projects.
- Lifestyle checks coordinated with BIR and Ombudsman for officials and contractors.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan (Photo: DPWH)
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan pledged on Friday, Aug. 29, to release his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) to reinforce transparency and accountability in the agency’s intensified anti-corruption efforts.
He said several DPWH officials have already submitted their SALN, signaling openness to public scrutiny.
“Yeah, if there’s going to be a formal lifestyle check, I think this is a public document,” Bonoan said.“We just have to, we’re just three years in this administration, and I also came from the private sector, but I’m open for anything,” he added.
He emphasized SALN as a critical tool to track officials’ assets, liabilities, and net worth.
To strengthen oversight, the DPWH has established an Anti-Corruption Task Force to receive complaints and investigate questionable projects.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed fast-track investigations into allegedly anomalous flood control projects in Bulacan, Occidental and Oriental Mindoro, and Iloilo, signaling confidence in Bonoan’s leadership.
“I serve at the pleasure of the President, and he has continuously instructed me to continue and expedite the investigations and file cases,” Bonoan said.
Addressing critics who question his oversight of ongoing projects, he added, “I rely on my team, and those who betray public trust must be answerable for their own actions.”
The DPWH manages roughly 10,000 projects nationwide, with responsibilities shared across regional and district offices.
Lifestyle checks are being coordinated with the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Ombudsman to cover officials and contractors.
Asset declarations are compared against revenue records to detect discrepancies.
Although SALNs cannot be released without the owner’s consent, verified complaints with supporting evidence allow lifestyle checks under existing rules.