MANILA, Philippines — Former Public Works secretary Manuel Bonoan left for the United States to attend to his wife’s medical needs, the Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed Wednesday. DOJ Spokesman Polo Martinez said Bonoan informed the department of his trip, which reportedly followed his wife’s recent surgical procedure. Bonoan is expected to return to the Philippines by Dec. 17. “Upon conferring with the Bureau of Immigration, we confirmed there were no pending cases or hold departure orders against him. Therefore, there was no legal barrier to his travel,” Martinez said. He added that Bonoan’s situation reflected the constitutional right to travel, which applies to all citizens without pending cases. “This is not unique to former Secretary Bonoan. Any individual without a pending case cannot be restrained from leaving the country,” he said. Martinez also said that Bonoan’s movements were being monitored under the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) system, which tracks and reports in real-time any travel by listed individuals. This allows authorities to verify immediately whether a person has any pending legal cases before leaving the country. If Bonoan does not return by Dec. 17 as planned, Martinez said his stay would then be governed by the terms of his US visa.