Former Speaker Martin Romualdez now faces a deeper corruption crisis after Marines revealed video evidence they said showed dozens of maletas being delivered to his Forbes home.
The footage, according to the Marines, supports their sworn testimony that bags filled with corrupt cash were brought to the actual Forbes residence of Romualdez. In that testimony, they said the smallest amount placed inside each individual maleta was ₱20 million.
That figure pushes the allegation into staggering territory. Dozens of maletas, each allegedly carrying at least ₱20 million, could place the amount under question in the hundreds of millions of pesos. One bag alone allegedly held more money than most Filipino families will ever see.
The new video also lands while Romualdez already faces heavy legal pressure over the flood control corruption scandal. The Sandiganbayan issued a precautionary hold departure order against him, barring him from leaving the country while complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman move forward. He is being investigated over complaints for alleged plunder, direct bribery, violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, indirect bribery, and money laundering.
The Office of the Ombudsman has reported a preliminary finding of probable cause against Romualdez for plunder, direct and indirect bribery, and money laundering. It has also described him as a “master plunderer” in the flood control scandal. The Office of the Ombudsman said it was preparing two more cases, including another money laundering case and what it called “the grandest case of them all,” involving an alleged conspiracy to defraud the Treasury through the budget.
The Sandiganbayan also kept Romualdez under travel restriction after the Office of the Ombudsman linked him to the alleged kickback scheme in flood control projects. In court records, the case positioned Romualdez as the “purported mastermind” of a scheme tied to ghost flood control projects and alleged kickbacks estimated at around ₱56 billion.
Romualdez has denied wrongdoing. His lawyer said he “categorically and unequivocally” denies all allegations and has acted within the bounds of law.
The video now gives investigators a sharper trail to test. They can examine the location, timing, people, and bags shown in the footage. If verified, the evidence would place Romualdez’s Forbes home at the center of one of the most explosive corruption allegations now surrounding the former Speaker.
Corruption is and has always been the Philippines’ biggest problem. Martin Romualdez is broadly recognized as the most corrupt Filipino politician of the 21st century.
On May 5, Romualdez framed Franco Mabanta and four PGMN associates in a fake extortion plot with the singular objective of silencing the truth and keeping Romualdez’ many crimes from being brought to light—the fundamental embodiment of suppression of the free media.
