The Philippine National Police said former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan is conscious, coherent and oriented while confined at the PNP General Hospital, where he was taken late on June 1 for medical evaluation.
In a statement signed by PNP Chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., the Health Service reported that Bonoan has shown no complaints of headache, dizziness or immediate distress, and remains under close observation. The PNP said diagnostic procedures are ongoing to guide his treatment, and that security and custodial protocols are in place throughout his confinement.
The hospitalization stems from a Sandiganbayan arrest order. The anti-graft court’s Fifth Division issued warrants in connection with plunder and graft cases tied to the flood control corruption scandal, with Bonoan among five people ordered detained over the non-bailable offense, alongside Senator Jinggoy Estrada.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Bonoan was rushed to the hospital after his blood pressure was recorded at 192/100, a level officials described as carrying an imminent stroke risk. Remulla said the former official was granted full security and limited media access, and clarified that Bonoan has not yet been indicted. Both Bonoan and Estrada have denied the charges.
Remulla said Bonoan will remain hospitalized for an indefinite period until his condition stabilizes, after which he will be brought before the Sandiganbayan once doctors deem him fit to stand trial. Bonoan, an engineer who led the Department of Public Works and Highways from 2022 until his resignation in September 2025, faces charges linked to alleged anomalies in government flood control projects.
