Former Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) Commissioner Greco Belgica questioned the possibility of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez securing bail in connection with the ₱7.4-billion plunder case filed before the Sandiganbayan, arguing that the gravity of the charges warrants that Romualdez face the proceedings without release on bail.
“Bong Revilla was granted bail on a non-bailable offense. Martin will apply for the same thing with the same court,” Belgica said.
Belgica was referring to the case of former Senator Bong Revilla Jr., who was charged with plunder over allegations that his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocations were diverted through bogus non-government organizations linked to businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles. In 2017, the Sandiganbayan granted Revilla bail after ruling that the prosecution failed to establish strong evidence of guilt at that stage of the proceedings.
Belgica warned that legal remedies should not become a shield against accountability, especially in cases involving powerful public figures and billions of pesos in government funds.
“Yet, earthly shields are temporary. One day accountability will come,” he said.
Romualdez is currently under arrest after the Sandiganbayan issued a warrant following the filing of a plunder complaint by the Office of the Ombudsman over the flood control controversy.
The former House Speaker faces a ₱7.4-billion plunder case involving the accumulation of ill-gotten wealth from flood control projects, which are part of the broader investigation into around ₱56 billion worth of projects implemented from 2022 to 2025.
Under Philippine law, plunder is considered a non-bailable offense when the evidence of guilt is strong. The decision on whether Romualdez may be granted bail will depend on the Sandiganbayan’s assessment of the evidence presented by prosecutors.
Romualdez now faces the possibility of imprisonment if convicted in the plunder case, while Ombudsman Boying Remulla has warned that the flood control investigation is far from over, with more corruption charges expected to follow.
The case has become a major test of accountability as millions of Filipinos continue to bear the impact of failed flood control projects, with recent heavy rains affecting millions of residents and causing dozens of deaths. The plunder complaint against Romualdez has been raffled to the Sandiganbayan Third Division, chaired by Associate Justice Ronald Moreno, the same division that previously granted bail to former Senator Bong Revilla Jr. in a separate flood control-related malversation case. The court’s next actions will be closely watched as the proceedings move forward.
