The graft case against former Department of Public Works and Highways secretary Manuel Bonoan will remain for now after the Sandiganbayan junked the Office of the Ombudsman’s proposal to remove him as accused and eventually make him a state witness.

The Office of the Ombudsman may abandon its bid to discharge former public works secretary Manuel Bonoan as a state witness before the Sandiganbayan, warning that he will remain a co-accused if he continues to provide what Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla described as “half-baked” testimony.