Submerged in Excuses: Bonoan’s Flood Control Master Plan Sinks Into Bureaucratic Abyss

By Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — August 22, 2025

METRO Manila drowns every rainy season, but the government’s grand “flood control master plan” has been missing in action—like a ghost haunting DPWH files. At the center of this soggy circus stands Secretary Manuel Bonoan, turning a P545-billion pool of taxpayer money into a swimming party for contractors while residents tread water in waist-deep floods. Here in Kweba ng Katarungan, we’re not throwing life vests—we’re throwing knives of wit and law, aimed squarely at the bureaucrats who let the capital sink.

The Phantom Plan: A P351-Billion Mirage in a Bureaucratic Swamp

Imagine a P351-billion flood control master plan, crafted during the Aquino era with JICA’s glossy expertise, vanishing like a bad Tinder date. Palace spokesperson Claire Castro claims Bonoan “did not receive” this opus from predecessor Mark Villar . Poof! A document meant to save millions from annual deluges, gone without a trace.

But hold the theatrics. The National Archives Act of 2007 (RA 9470) mandates meticulous management and transfer of public records . This isn’t a Post-it note lost in a desk drawer; it’s a NEDA-approved roadmap from 2012, living rent-free in DPWH’s Unified Project Management Office and NEDA’s archives . Claiming “no turnover” is like a pilot saying they couldn’t find the runway because nobody pointed it out.

This excuse isn’t just laughable; it’s a slap in the face to the 1987 Constitution’s decree that “public office is a public trust” (Art. XI, Sec. 1). Under Sec. 4(a) and (c) of the RA 6713 (Code of Conduct), Bonoan’s bound to act with “utmost responsibility” and “responsiveness.”Pleading ignorance of a plan that’s been public since Typhoon Ondoy is either catastrophic incompetence or deliberate obfuscation. Either way, it’s a breach of fiduciary duty that leaves Filipinos wading through floodwaters while officials play hide-and-seek with accountability.

Bonoan’s Reign of Ruin: From Clueless to Complicit?

Bonoan’s tenure is a tragic opera of incompetence, with a corruption aria waiting in the wings. In July 2024, he boasted the Aquino plan was 30% complete. By August 2025, he was whistling a new tune: “Never got it.” This flip-flop isn’t a mere oops; it’s a neon billboard screaming “NO PLAN, NO CLUE.” It’s as if Bonoan filed a demurrer to his own competence, and the court of public opinion has already ruled against him.

Then there’s the contractor circus, a P100-billion feeding frenzy where 15 firms—led by the illustrious St. Timothy Construction Corp., flagged by President Marcos himself for a botched Bulacan project—gobbled up 20% of the P545-billion flood control budget . Where was the oversight mandated by RA 9184 (Government Procurement Reform Act)? Section 10 demands transparent, competitive bidding, yet Senate probes uncovered projects without feasibility studies, reeking of “manifest partiality” or “gross negligence” under RA 3019, Sec. 3(e). Sec. 3(g) frowns on “grossly disadvantageous contracts.” Was Bonoan napping, or was he handing out VIP passes to this contractor cash grab?

The cherry on this mud pie? Zero coordination with the DENR’s River Basin Control Office (RBCO), created by Executive Order No. 510 (2006) to unify flood control planning . This isn’t a clerical error; it’s a deliberate snub of the legal framework meant to keep Metro Manila from becoming Venice’s dystopian cousin. If this isn’t a violation of RA 6713‘s responsiveness mandate, what is?

Supreme Court Smackdown: No Shelter in Arias’ Shadow

Bonoan might clutch Arias v. Sandiganbayan (G.R. No. 81563, 1989) like a life raft, claiming heads of office can rely on subordinates absent red flags . But when 15 contractors are hogging P100 billion, ghost projects are multiplying, and the RBCO is ghosted, those flags are redder than a matador’s cape. Arias isn’t a bulletproof vest; it’s a paper towel in a monsoon.

The Manila Bay Mandamus Cases (G.R. No. 171947-48) prove the Supreme Court can compel agencies to act on ministerial duties like flood control planning. If the Court can order a bay cleaned, it can drag DPWH to account for a P351-billion plan. And don’t sleep on Revised Penal Code, Art. 171 (Falsification); signing off on ghost projects, as in Valdez v. People (G.R. No. 170180, 2007), could land officials in hot water . Bonoan’s not a bystander; he’s the captain of this waterlogged ship.

Quicksand Nation: P545 Billion Sunk, Yet Floods Persist

Here’s the sickening irony: P545 billion since 2022, yet Metro Manila’s flood protection is stuck at under 30% . That’s not a plan; it’s a financial sinkhole. The Senate’s probe into Bulacan’s ghost projects suggests not just inefficiency but a systemic scam .

And the COVID-19 excuse? It’s 2025, not 2020. Blaming a pandemic for delays now is like blaming a flat tire on a storm three years ago—pathetic and transparent. The 2012 plan was a lifeline; its neglect across administrations is a betrayal, with Bonoan as the latest fall guy .

Fixing the Flood: Sarcasm and Solutions

For Bonoan

Face the music. The Ombudsman should probe for Gross Neglect and Conduct Prejudicial to the Service under RA 6713 and RA 3019. A COA special audit of the 15 contractors’ P100-billion haul is urgent, with referrals to the Ombudsman for graft. If Bonoan’s lucky, he’ll only lose his desk, not his liberty.

For the System

Stop treating master plans like cursed artifacts. Engrave them on stone tablets, deliver via armored truck, and demand notarized receipts. Better yet, mandate a digital, public repository under EO 2 (2016) on FOI to end this “dog ate my plan” nonsense.

For the Public

Buy a boat and learn to swim. The government’s strategy seems to be “enrich contractors, hope for drought.” Until the courts or Ombudsman intervene, Filipinos are left dog-paddling in this bureaucratic cesspool.

Conclusion: Drowning in Excuses

The Philippines’ flood control saga is a tragic farce, with Bonoan as the bumbling lead in a drama where the stage is submerged and the audience is livid. The “missing” P351-billion plan isn’t just a document; it’s a monument to systemic rot, where institutional memory is erased, contractors feast, and public trust sinks.

Bonoan’s “no turnover” excuse is a legal and ethical embarrassment, flouting RA 9470, RA 6713, and the Constitution [citation:48,39]. Supreme Court precedents like Arias and Manila Bay offer no shelter, and RA 3019 looms over the contractor circus.

With P545 billion spent and floods unabated, it’s time to plug the leaks or abandon ship. Until then, the only thing rising faster than the waters is the stench of incompetence.

Disclaimer: This is satire, but the laws, cases, and facts are real. If you’re a DPWH official, check your archives—or your moral compass.