Metro Manila, Philippines – The Department of Justice (DOJ) said former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan will have to secure court permission to travel to the United States amid his precautionary hold departure order (PHDO).
The clarification was made on Wednesday, Feb. 18, as Bonoan previously said DOJ prosecutors granted his request to leave the country when he filed his counter-affidavit with the DOJ in the plunder complaint against him.
Bonoan wants to leave for the US to attend to his wife’s medical condition. This was the same reason he went to the US last year at the height of the flood control corruption scandal probe
In a news conference, Justice spokesperson Polo Martinez said the DOJ allowed his request for an earlier filing of his counter-affidavit, Feb. 16 instead of Feb. 23, to help the prosecution.
“Kahit ano pang rason ‘yan he was granted the earlier date kasi makakatulong din sa amin ‘yon, eh. Mas maaga naming matatanggap ang documents, mas mabilis na masusuri ang ebidensya, then the faster we could resolve the matters pending before us,” Martinez told reporters.
[Translation: Regardless of the reasons, he was granted the earlier date because it will help us. The earlier we receive the documents, the quicker we examine the evidence, then the faster we can resolve the matters pending before us.]
Bonoan’s remedies are filing a motion to lift the PHDO with the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 52 and posting a bond, the DOJ official said.
