Ex-DPWH exec implicates Bonoan, Cabral in infra scam

Former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo implicated ex-Secretary Manuel Bonoan and ex-undersecretary Cathy Cabral in an alleged infrastructure scam.

Bernardo testified that Cabral had significant influence over the DPWH's National Expenditure Program (NEP), dictating project allocations and communicating with legislators.

He further claimed that Cabral would meet with legislators to inform them of their budget allocations and solicit project titles for inclusion in the DPWH budget.

In 2022, Bonoan allegedly instructed Bernardo to submit a list of projects worth P450 million for the NEP 2023, which Cabral then allegedly facilitated into the budget.

Bernardo detailed how Bonoan allegedly ordered him to submit insertion lists for P150 million in 2024 and P900 million in 2025 projects, with dismissed Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara producing the lists and remitting "10 percent, 15 percent and 20 percent value" from the inserted projects for each respective year.

Bernardo stated that a contractor, Mrs. Patron, collected a 20 percent commitment for Senator Poe from one of Bernardo's aides at Diamond Hotel.

He also named Senators Grace Poe, Mark Villar, and Department of Education Secretary Sonny Angara as lawmakers who allegedly received kickbacks from anomalous flood control projects.

Bernardo stated that a staff member of Poe inquired about accommodating Senator Poe in the 2025 NEP, after which Bonoan allegedly allocated P500 million in infrastructure projects to Poe, facilitated by Cabral.