SENATOR JINGGOY Estrada, resigned Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, and a bunch of “has-beens” will have to abort plans to go abroad, after a regional trial court issued “precautionary hold departure order” covering individuals whose names were dragged into the so-called flood control scandal.
In issuing the precautionary hold-departure order (HDO), Manila RTC Branch 52 Judge Juan G. Ranola Jr. granted the prosecutors request for a court order that would prevent Estrada and Bonoan from going elsewhere.
Both Estrada and Bonoan are subject of plunder complaints, along with resigned DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, Regional Director Gerard Opulencia and former DPWH Bulacan First District Engr. Henry Alcantara.
In a press briefing, lawyer Polo Martinez in his capacity as spokesperson of the Department of Justice, confirmed receiving a copy of the court order.
According to Martinez, the trial court “found probable cause to believe that the respondents will depart from the Philippines to evade arrest.”
He added that the court instructed the commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to hold the departure of the five individuals and to include them in the hold departure list.
Estrada and his four co-respondents are facing a plunder charge in the flood control mess now under preliminary investigation before a DOJ panel of prosecutors.
Hold departure orders are issued by courts once charges have been filed before the courts to prevent accused from leaving the country, Martinez explained.
If a charge is still undergoing preliminary investigation and no case has been filed before the courts, prosecutors may ask the courts for the issuance of a PHDO to prevent them from leaving the country, he added.
Bonoan earlier asked the DOJ to allow him to travel to the United States for his wife’s medical needs, following the filing of his counter-affidavit regarding a plunder complaint.
Bonoan went to the US on November 11, 2025, for his wife’s medical procedure and returned to the Philippines on January 18, 2026.
The accusations relate to alleged “ghost” projects and anomalies in flood control. While he was previously under an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order, the current PHDO is more restrictive, Rappler explained.
In issuing the order dated February 10 — and was made available on Monday, February 16 — Rañola said “there is probable cause to believe that respondents will depart from the Philippines to evade arrest and prosecution of the crimes against them.”
The PHDO stemmed from the complaints filed by the National Bureau of Investigation over alleged violation of section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019 or Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, plunder, direct bribery, receiving gifts by public officers, and corruption of public officers.
Prior to the PHDO’s approval in 2018, only an HDO can prevent overseas travel. However, such can only be invoked when there’s already a case filed before a court.
Estrada has been dragged into the flood control scandal after former DPWH former assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez claimed that the senator channeled P355 million worth of projects to Hagonoy and Malolos, both in Bulacan, in 2025, with a supposed 30% “SOP” or kickback.
Estrada, previously tagged in the pork barrel scam, was also included in the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s (ICI) recommendation to the Office of the Ombudsman as among the officials who should be held liable in the flood control scam.
And so was Bonoan in the ICI recommendation to the Ombudsman for further investigation.
Alcantara, Bernardo, and Opulencia are state witnesses in the flood control corruption, as previously announced by the DOJ.
“If at all, the Department just takes it as his gesture of good faith. Wala po siyang legal or procedural bearing,” Martinez said about Bonoan getting permission to go to the US.
Bonoan filed his counter-affidavit on Feb. 16 before a panel of prosecutors to the plunder complaint filed by the NBI concerning the flood control mess.
Martinez said Bonoan’s co-respondent (Jinggoy), is expected to file his counter-affidavit on Feb. 23.