The Philippines Ombudsman has filed corruption charges against Martin Romualdez, former Speaker of the House of Representatives and cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., along with others involved. They are accused of accepting bribes, irregular budget allocations, and embezzling government funds totaling 7.4 billion pesos (approximately 3.88 billion baht) from a flood control project that was never actually constructed.
The Philippines Ombudsman has filed criminal charges of unexplained wealth from widespread corruption against Martin Romualdez, former Speaker and member of the House of Representatives and cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., over allegations of involvement in a government flood control corruption scheme.
Jesus Crispin Remulla, the Philippines Ombudsman, revealed that the case submitted to the Sandiganbayan anti-corruption court involves bribery, improper budget insertions, and project allocations totaling approximately 7.4 billion pesos, or about 3.884 billion baht.
However, in an additional petition by the investigative panel, Romualdez is accused of accumulating and possessing illicit assets worth 56 billion pesos from 2022 to 2025. These allegations are still under judicial consideration, and Romualdez has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The case names Romualdez along with former House member Elizalde “Saldi” Co and others as defendants, all accused of jointly amassing wealth unlawfully through government budget funds.
Remulla stated that authorities are neither discriminatory nor avoid prosecuting anyone; all allegations are based on evidence. He emphasized that this case demonstrates that no individual is above scrutiny.
The charges are serious corruption offenses punishable by life imprisonment and are non-bailable under Philippine law.
The case is being considered by the Sandiganbayan's Third Division, chaired by Associate Justice Karl Miranda, which will determine if there is probable cause to issue arrest warrants. The Ombudsman indicated that further prosecutions against Romualdez and associates are expected, potentially including related corruption and money laundering charges.
This case is part of a major investigation into flood control infrastructure projects allegedly deemed “ghost projects,” which were never constructed but had their budgets disbursed. President Marcos publicly raised these concerns over a year ago after suspicions arose that these projects might have caused taxpayer losses worth billions of dollars.
Over time, owners of construction firms, government officials, politicians, and several current and former House members have been accused of misappropriating funds from these projects for personal gain.
Previously, Romualdez resigned as Speaker of the House in September last year after his name emerged in the expanding investigation. He said his resignation would allow officials to investigate without undue influence. However, he remains a member of the House of Representatives.
Atty. Ade Fahardo, Romualdez’s lawyer, stated that his client will fight the charges through the justice system and called for fair trial rights equal to all Filipinos. He emphasized that truth, evidence, and fair legal proceedings should carry the utmost weight in this case.
The Philippine presidential office said President Marcos respects the justice process and believes those accountable should face prosecution, regardless of whether they are relatives, friends, political allies, or opponents.
Earlier, Romualdez's legal team questioned the credibility of some witnesses after several accusers withdrew their testimonies, notably Orly Gutesa and a former security officer of Co, who had claimed large sums of money were handed to Romualdez.
However, the Ombudsman affirmed that withdrawing testimony does not invalidate the original statements; both prior and retracted testimonies will be compared and evaluated alongside other evidence in the case.
The Ombudsman also reported having 42 witnesses ready to provide information about Romualdez, including 28 new witnesses and 14 former security personnel of Co. Former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan is among those who may be called to testify in the main case.
Meanwhile, Lakas-CMD, Romualdez’s political party, has called for a neutral investigation and full due process rights for the accused, stating that Romualdez is prepared to face the charges and prove his innocence in court.
This case is one of the major corruption scandals shaking Philippine politics. Corruption remains a chronic national issue and is seen as a contributing factor to the country’s poverty and inequality problems affecting its population of about 112 million.
/sourceABS-CBN News/AFP