• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has announced that the Office of the Ombudsman is set to file multiple charges against his cousin, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, as the government intensifies its crackdown on the alleged multibillion-peso flood control scam.
In his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 27, Marcos said several contractors, senior officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and lawmakers allegedly involved in the anomalies have already been charged and detained.
“Mayroon nang mga unang nakasuhan at nakulong mga kontratista; matataas na opisyal ng DPWH; pati na ang mga mambabatas,” Marcos said.
In a statement, Romualdez said he respects the President’s position despite their family relationship.
“Masakit man ito sa aming pamilya, iginagalang ko ang naging pahayag ng Pangulo. Hindi ako kailanman humingi ng pabor o espesyal na pagtrato,” Romualdez said.
The President disclosed that, based on information from the Office of the Ombudsman, multiple charges against the former speaker are expected to be filed soon.
“Dumating na tayo sa puntong ayon sa Ombudsman ay malapit na ang paghahain ng patong-patong na kaso laban sa dating speaker. Masakit sa akin ito pero kailangan natin itong gawin,” Marcos said.
He stressed that personal ties would not influence his administration’s anti-corruption campaign.
“Hindi ako pangulo ng aking pamilya. Hindi ako pangulo ng aking kaibigan. Ako ay pangulo ng Pilipinas, at ang tungkulin ko ay sa inyo — ang aking mga kapwa Pilipino,” he added.
Marcos also announced that the government has recovered, frozen and preserved P25 billion in assets, which have already been returned to the National Treasury.
Last week, the Office of the Ombudsman filed a supplemental complaint-affidavit for preliminary investigation against Romualdez, former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co, and several other respondents.
The complaint alleged that Romualdez and Co accumulated P56 billion in ill-gotten wealth from 2022 to 2025 through the alleged diversion and misuse of public funds and by receiving undue pecuniary benefits from government transactions. | GPB
