Manila, Jan. 19 -- The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday confirmed that former Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan has been included in the plunder charges in connection with alleged irregularities linked to flood control projects.

DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez, in a message to reporters, said Bonoan "is a respondent in the case filed by the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) for plunder, among other charges."

"He is a co-respondent of Senator Jinggoy Estrada in the same case," Martinez said.

Martinez said there is no schedule for the preliminary investigation yet, as the case will be assigned to a panel of handling prosecutors.

"The complaint for plunder is not localized to a single project or loc...