Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan was released from Philippine National Police’s (PNP) custody on Friday, following an order from the Sandiganbayan.

Bonoan was released from the Philippine National Police General Hospital (PNPGH) at Camp Crame, Quezon City, where he had been under hospital arrest since his detention in June.

His convoy left the facility at around 10:35 a.m. on Friday, September 4.

The release came nearly three months after his arrest over cases related to alleged anomalies in flood control projects.

The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division granted the Ombudsman's motion to drop Bonoan from the plunder and graft cases after the prosecution amended the charge sheet to discharge him as a co-accused of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada.

The Ombudsman had charged Bonoan and other individuals in May over an alleged conspiracy to collect more than ₱500 million in kickbacks from flood control projects.