The Sandiganbayan Second Division has denied the Office of the Ombudsman’s request to exclude former Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan from a graft case also involving Senator Jinggoy Estrada. In a resolution promulgated on Aug. 3, the court denied the prosecutor’s motion for leave to file an amended information that would have removed Bonoan as a co-accused in connection with an alleged flood control corruption scandal. The outlets report that the case is linked to alleged wrongdoing connected to flood control projects described by the prosecution as a multibillion-peso “flood control mess.” By rejecting the Ombudsman’s motion, the court effectively maintains Bonoan’s status as an accused in the proceedings. The reports also note that the court’s decision creates a procedural barrier to Bonoan’s application to be used as a state witness, which the prosecution has associated with efforts to establish the alleged roles of other personalities in the case.