12/08/2026
BONOAN: ZUBIRI LINKED TO ₱24-B DPWH 'LEADERSHIP FUND' FOR SENATORS
NEWS UPDATE. Former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan testified before the Sandiganbayan on Wednesday that it was then-Senate President Migz Zubiri whom they dealt with regarding the P24 billion set aside by the DPWH for the "leadership fund" of senators.
According to his testimony, Bonoan said the move was made after they saw in 2023 how the DPWH budget was reduced following budget deliberations.
He added that Zubiri, who was Senate President at the time, had discretion over the allocation of the funds. He said the minimum allocation was P500 million per senator, while committee chairs received a minimum of P1 billion.
Bonoan also stated that all senators availed of the fund.
The testimony was made as part of ongoing proceedings at the Sandiganbayan.
