Unresolved issues involving former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan, as well as the acquisition of a house and lot at 30 Tamarind Road in South Forbes in Makati City in 2023 where contractor Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II was involved, may be the focus of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s next hearing on the flood control mess, Senate President Pro Tempore and Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said.
Lacson said Bonoan still has much to explain, including a seeming “pattern” of wrong grid coordinates for flood control projects in the report Bonoan submitted to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“We can focus the next hearing on Bonoan to tackle other issues he can clarify. He is in the country so he can address the issues involving him,” he said in English and Filipino in an interview on DZMM radio.
In Filipino: Lacson: Ex-DPWH Chief Bonoan, South Forbes Property Maaaring Maging Sentro ng Susunod na Blue Ribbon Hearing
He noted that in the last Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, DPWH Undersecretaries Arthur Bisnar and Ricardo Bernabe III showed data indicating a “clear pattern” on the submission of wrong grid coordinates.
Lacson said that if only a few out of the total number of flood control projects had wrong grid coordinates, it could have been considered inadvertent or a result of “negligence.”
But he pointed out that with over 86 percent of projects bearing wrong grid coordinates “we can say this is deliberate.”
Lacson said he is not discounting the possibility that the submission of wrong data could be meant not just to discredit the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website listing the locations of flood control projects – but also to undermine the prosecution of cases involving ghost flood control projects.
“For example, a case is filed using data from the Sumbong sa Pangulo website as evidence. The defense can question the website’s credibility. That is one possible long-term motive for submitting wrong data,” he said.
In a separate interview on DZBB, Lacson said that if Bonoan would be evasive in answering questions, he could be cited in contempt of the committee, and arrested and detained in the Senate.
“He could be detained, not just issued an arrest warrant,” he said.
South Forbes Property
Meanwhile, Lacson said the Blue Ribbon Committee may also invite to its next hearing former Speaker Martin Romualdez or a representative of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), to shed light on the purchase of a house and lot at 30 Tamarind Road in South Forbes in Makati City in 2023.
He said records showed the buyer of the house was Golden Pheasant Holdings Corp., whose major stockholder is Jose Raulito Paras. Paras has held high positions in at least three companies connected to the former Speaker.
“For the next Blue Ribbon hearing, we can invite Romualdez anew and course the invitation through Speaker Faustino Dy III. If he wants to attend he is welcome to come and air his side. But he cannot be forced to come due to inter-parliamentary courtesy,” Lacson said.
Lacson noted two staff of the house’s previous tenant had told the Blue Ribbon Committee last Monday that Discaya was the one who told them to vacate the house as they would prepare it for the new owner. They also positively identified Discaya at the hearing.
Paras will also be invited to the next hearing, so he can explain his capacity to buy the house, which is reportedly worth at least P1 billion, he added.
“We will invite Atty. Paras and if he says Golden Pheasant and not former Speaker Romualdez bought the property, he can explain to the Bureau of Internal Revenue what his financial capacity is to buy the house, which is quite expensive,” he said.
“I am not saying this is enough to implicate the former Speaker. What I am saying is that it will provide leads to investigators because the Senate investigation is not for prosecution but is in aid of legislation. At the same time, we can forward the appropriate evidence to the investigating agencies,” he added.
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Lacson: Ex-DPWH Chief Bonoan, South Forbes Property Maaaring Maging Sentro ng Susunod na Blue Ribbon Hearing
Maaaring maging sentro ng susunod na pagdinig ng Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hinggil sa flood control scandal ang mga isyu kay dating Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan, at ang pagbili ng property sa 30 Tamarind Road sa South Forbes sa Makati City noong 2023 kung saan sangkot ang contractor na si Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II, ayon kay Senate President Pro Tempore at Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson.
Ani Lacson, marami pang dapat ipaliwanag si Bonoan, kabilang ang tila “pattern” ng mga maling grid coordinates para sa mga flood control project sa ulat na isinumite niya kay Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“Pwede nating i-focus ang next hearing kay Bonoan at kung anong ibang issues na pwedeng i-clarify niya. Tutal narito na siya sa bansa, siya pwedeng bigyan ng linaw ang pinupukol sa kanya,” aniya sa panayam sa DZMM radio.
Napansin niya na sa huling pagdinig ng Blue Ribbon Committee, nagpakita sina DPWH Undersecretaries Arthur Bisnar at Ricardo Bernabe III ng datos na nagpapahiwatig ng isang “clear pattern” sa pagsusumite ng mga maling grid coordinates.
Sinabi ni Lacson na kung iilan lamang sa kabuuang bilang ng mga flood control project ang may maling grid coordinates, maaari itong ituring na hindi sinasadya o bunga ng kapabayaan.
Ngunit binigyang-diin niya na dahil mahigit 86 porsyento ng mga proyekto ang may maling grid coordinates, “mukhang pwede na nating sabihing sinadya.”
Ayon kay Lacson, hindi niya inaalis ang posibilidad na ang pagsusumite ng maling datos ay layon hindi lamang para siraan ang “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website — kung saan nakalista ang mga lokasyon ng mga flood control project — kundi para pahinain din ang pag-uusig sa mga kasong may kaugnayan sa mga “ghost” flood control project.
“Halimbawa may naka-file ng kaso, pwedeng gawing depensa yan. Sabihin ng legal defense, mali ang grid coordinates di ba? So yan ang nakita nating long-term motive,” aniya.
Sa hiwalay na panayam sa DZBB, sinabi ni Lacson na kung magiging mailap si Bonoan sa pagsagot sa mga tanong, maaari itong ma-cite in contempt ng komite, at arestuhin para ikulong sa Senado.
“Pwede siyang makulong, hindi lang ma-issue-han ng arrest warrant, ipapakulong right then and there,” ani Lacson.
South Forbes Property
Samantala, sinabi ni Lacson na maaari ring imbitahan ng Blue Ribbon Committee sa susunod na pagdinig si dating Speaker Martin Romualdez o isang kinatawan ng Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), upang magbigay-linaw sa pagbili ng isang bahay at lupa sa South Forbes Park sa Makati City noong 2023.
Aniya, ipinapakita sa mga rekord na ang nakabili ng bahay ay ang Golden Pheasant Holdings Corp., kung saan ang pangunahing stockholder ay si Jose Raulito Paras. Si Paras ay humawak ng matataas na posisyon sa hindi bababa sa tatlong kumpanyang konektado sa dating Speaker.
“Sa susunod na pagdinig pwedeng gawin yan ng Senado. Iko-course namin ang invitation (kay Romualdez) kay Speaker Dy. Kung gusto niyang magpunta welcome siya magpaliwanag. Pero hindi pwedeng sabihing kailangang pumunta siya dahil may inter-parliamentary courtesy,” ani Lacson.
Binanggit ni Lacson na dalawang staff ng dating nangungupahan sa bahay ang nagsabi sa Blue Ribbon Committee noong nakaraang Lunes na si Discaya ang nagsabi sa kanila na lisanin ang bahay dahil ihahanda na ito para sa bagong may-ari. Positibo rin nilang kinilala si Discaya sa pagdinig.
Iimbitahan din si Paras sa susunod na pagdinig upang maipaliwanag niya ang kanyang kakayahang makabili ng bahay, na naiulat na nagkakahalaga ng hindi bababa sa P1 bilyon, dagdag pa niya.
“Sa susunod na pagdinig, iimbitahin namin si Atty. Paras para kung sabihin niya sa kanya talaga yan, yung Golden Pheasant, na siyang buyer o vendee ng property at hindi kay Speaker Romualdez, ipaliwanag niya sa BIR kung ano ba ang financial capacity niya, yung wherewithal para bumili ng ganung kalaking halaga ng bahay. Kasi hindi biro-biro ang halaga ng bahay. Masyadong mahal,” aniya.
“Hindi ko sinasabing enough yan to implicate the former Speaker. Pero sinasabi ko lang magpo-provide ng lead yan sa mga investigators kasi hindi naman para kami mag-pursue noon kasi wala kami sa prosecution. Kami in aid of legislation. At the same time pwede kaming mag-rekomenda base sa mga ebidensyang nakuha namin na ifo-forward namin sa mga investigating agencies ng gobyerno,” dagdag niya.
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