Former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan testified Wednesday, Aug. 12, that then Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo submitted to him the project lists of former Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. under the department’s Senate leadership fund.

Bonoan testified before the Sandiganbayan Third Division in the malversation case against Revilla.

The prosecution asked Bonoan how Revilla submitted his project list for fiscal year 2025 and what made him certain that the projects submitted through Bernardo were indeed those of Revilla.

“I know very well that Undersecretary Bernardo is very close to Senator Revilla and Senator [Jinggoy] Estrada. In fact, I also recall that in 2024, he also was the one who submitted the list of projects under the leadership fund for Senator Revilla,” Bonoan said.

He said Bernardo also submitted to him the proposed amendments to Revilla’s project list, which he then forwarded to Undersecretary Ma. Catalina Cabral as she was finalizing the DPWH’s errata for submission to Congress.

The court again asked Bonoan how sure he was of his recollection.

“All these were done in 2024, Your Honor, but all these things I’m very certain that it was up to the Undersecretary Bernardo who always come to me as far as Senator Revilla’s concerns are brought to my attention, Your Honor,” he said.

Asked why he considered Bernardo to have acted on Revilla’s behalf, Bonoan cited their close relationship.

“Everytime I go to visit Senator Revilla, it’s always through Undersecretary Bernardo. Ang alam ko po, magkumpare silang dalawa,” he said.

Bonoan said his visits to Revilla’s office involved official matters concerning the DPWH, noting that Revilla was then chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Works.

These included measures involving the declaration of local roads as national roads and the creation of engineering districts.

The court asked whether he had discussed the leadership fund projects with Revilla during any of those visits.

Bonoan said he could not recall doing so, but noted that the leadership fund was known to all senators.

Bonoan explained that the leadership fund was created in 2024 as an ad hoc allocation in the DPWH budget for the priority projects of senators.

He said the fund was conceived after the department experienced substantial cuts to its budget in 2023.

“The leadership fund came about, Your Honor, because of the numerous cuts from the budget that we observed in the budget of 2023,” Bonoan said.

He recalled that several core DPWH programs were drastically reduced in the General Appropriations Act, which affected the department’s ability to implement its programs.

“To avoid this repetition of this kind of cuts being made in the budget of the department, we thought that it would be better if we already include the priority projects of members of the Senate in the budget of the department,” he said.

As to how senators could avail themselves of the fund, Bonoan said he discussed its objectives and implementation with then Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri in 2024.

He reiterated taht there was no formal process for availing of the fund, although the arrangement had been communicated to the Senate leadership.

Senators could submit requests through their staff or representatives or course them through DPWH undersecretaries for operations and planning, he said.

Once a senator’s list was submitted, Bonoan said the projects underwent final vetting by Cabral’s office.

“The final vetting of the projects will go through the office of Undersecretary Cabral because we also have to satisfy the criteria of the projects that has to get into the budget of the department,” he said.

Projects that met the criteria and were consistent with the administration’s socioeconomic development program were then included in the DPWH budget proposal for submission to the Department of Budget and Management and eventual inclusion in the National Expenditure Program.

Bonoan said the projects were eventually included in the General Appropriations Act.

He also testified that Bernardo submitted leadership fund project lists for other senators, including Bong Go and Robin Padilla, aside from Revilla and Estrada.

The prosecution questioned why Bonoan relied on Bernardo’s submissions despite the absence of a formal request from Revilla.

Bonoan said he had no doubt Bernardo was liaising for Revilla because of their close relationship.

Bonoan also said all senators availed themselves of the leadership fund, with up to ₱1 billion allotted for committee chairpersons and ₱500 million for regular members.

During cross-examination, the defense asked Bonoan about Bernardo’s allegation in the plunder case that he was part of a scheme involving kickbacks, commitments and commissions from DPWH projects.

Bonoan invoked his right to remain silent when asked about the allegation.

The hearing is part of the Sandiganbayan’s proceedings in the malversation case against Revilla involving a ₱92.8-million flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.