Bonoan, other ‘whistleblowers’ to testify in Estrada plunder case – prosecution
The Ombudsman earlier filed a motion to discharge former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan from Sen. Jinggoy Estrada’s plunder and graft cases to make him a state witness. ABS-CBN News/FileMANILA — Former public works secretary Manuel Bonoan and other whistleblowers are set to testify against Sen. Jinggoy Estrada in his plunder case over the alleged flood control kickback scheme, the prosecution said Wednesday.
Bonoan was earlier dropped as an accused before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division after the Office of the Ombudsman moved to make him a state witness. Estrada had opposed the motion, arguing that it would limit his defense.
The prosecution said it would present 21 witnesses at Estrada’s bail hearing, set from Oct. 20 to Nov. 12, to show that the evidence of guilt against him and his co-accused DPWH officials was strong.
The witnesses include a Senate official, DPWH Central Office executives and human resource officers, and an NBI officer.
Estrada joined Wednesday’s pretrial by videoconference.
The court ordered him to sign the pretrial order, which lists the witnesses and evidence to be presented, at the Quezon City Jail in Payatas.