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Philippines flood control scandal: Senators allegedly received up to P1 billion
Former DPWH secretary Bonoan said 24 senators received at least P500 million (Dh30.3 million) in "leadership funds", while committee heads allegedly received up to P1 billion (Dh60.6 million)
- PUBLISHED: Thu 13 Aug 2026, 12:42 PM
While Filipinos are still reeling from devastating floods brought by monsoon rains, with many families remaining in evacuation centres, another corruption scheme involving infrastructure and flood control projects was revealed at a criminal trial in the Philippines.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s former public works secretary Manuel Bonoan revealed in a court testimony that all of the country’s 24 senators received at least P500 million (Dh30.3 million) in so-called leadership funds in the 2024 national budget, with senate committee chairpersons allegedly receiving up to P1 billion (Dh60.6 million)
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Bonoan on Wednesday testified as a prosecution witness in a malversation trial against former senator Ramon 'Bong' Revilla Jr. He noted the substantial allocations originated via the National Expenditure Program (NEP) which was issued from the President’s office.
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“For fiscal year 2025, according to records, all senators availed of the leadership fund,” he said in reply to a question from Sandiganbayan (anti-corruption court) Associate Justice Ronald Moreno.
Bonoan is currently in jail, alongside Senator Jinggoy Estrada, who was also charged with plunder and large-scale corruption over alleged kickbacks from manipulated flood control budgets.
Political observers, however, note Bonoan’s testimony on Wednesday against Revilla is seen as leverage in a bid to become a state witness and avoid lengthy imprisonment if convicted.
What is leadership fund
A leadership fund in the context of Philippine governance refers to an impromptu allocation embedded within national government agency budgets, but most specifically the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
It is designed to accommodate legislators' priority or pet infrastructure projects, exactly the epicentre of the current massive corruption scandal rocking the Philippine government.
According to Bonoan, he discussed the parametres of the funds with then Senate President. Juan Miguel Zubiri. “The fund will be under the discretion of the Senate president but there [were] thresholds we have agreed on,” Bonoan said, adding P24 billion (Dh1.45 billioon) in total was allocated for senators, but the amount was subject to Zubiri’s discretion.
How funds were “stolen”
Bonoan testified that former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo submitted project lists to him based on requests from various lawmakers, granting high-ranking officials discretionary control over billions in infrastructure allocations.
He admitted that a validation team he sent out discovered that certain high-profile infrastructure and flood control projects in Bulacan province could not be located despite being reported as completed and subsequently paid for by public funds.
Bonoan’s insider testimony is based on his long career at the DPWH, twice serving as the agency’s chief under two presidents: Marcos Jr. and former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Bonoan is currently facing plunder and graft charges himself in connection with the ongoing flood control controversy rocking the government; while Marcos Jr. himself is alleged to have received at least P1 billion (Dh60.6 million) in kickbacks.
Zubiri says ‘nothing wrong’
Meanwhile, Zubiri quickly denied Bonoan’s claim that he handled any list of projects, but also said there was “nothing wrong” with “institutional amendments” as long as they were disbursed and implemented properly.
“As (former) Senate president, I never requested, held, or handled any list of project requests from senators. I refused to handle any such list. No proposed budget amendments have come through our office,” Zubiri said. He added that fund requests from fellow senators were coursed through the chamber’s committee on finance, which oversees the budget process in the Senate.
The Philippines ranks 120th out of 182 countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, dropping six places since the Marcos flood control scandal broke out. The country ranks among the lower-performing nations in Southeast Asia, ahead of only Cambodia and Myanmar.
