Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said Tuesday that the Office of the Ombudsman‘s case against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez continues to grow stronger as investigators gather more evidence in the alleged flood control budget anomaly, saying the office is prioritizing what it considers one of its biggest corruption cases.
Speaking during a press briefing, Clavano said the investigation against Romualdez has gained momentum with the cooperation of former Public Works Secretary Manuel “Manny” Bonoan, whom the Ombudsman accepted as a state witness to help strengthen the case.
“Yung kaso po ni former Speaker Martin Romualdez is getting stronger by the day,” Clavano said. “The reason why we accepted former Secretary Manny Bonoan as a state witness is precisely because ang kanyang intensyon na makipag-cooperate sa amin ay para sa kasong iyon.”
Clavano said Bonoan occupied a unique position during the preparation of the Department of Public Works and Highways budget, allowing him to provide firsthand testimony on discussions involving lawmakers and executive officials.
“Siya mismo ang nandoon. Siya mismo ang kumakausap sa mga congressman. Siya mismo ang kumakausap sa mga cabinet secretary,” Clavano said, adding that large-scale corruption cases rarely leave a documentary trail, making insider testimony critical to establishing accountability.
He said the Ombudsman made the difficult decision to accept Bonoan as a state witness after determining that his cooperation could substantially strengthen the investigation into Romualdez.
“We would rather go for the bigger case,” Clavano said, explaining that Bonoan’s testimony could help uncover how the alleged budget manipulation was carried out and identify those responsible.
Responding to criticism that the Ombudsman has been slow to act against Romualdez, Clavano said investigators are deliberately ensuring that the evidence is strong before filing any case in court.
“We have one shot to get this right,” he said. “We are making sure that these cases are airtight and are strong.” Clavano warned that filing a weak case could result in its dismissal, preventing prosecutors from pursuing the same offense again because of double jeopardy.
Clavano also stressed that the Ombudsman will continue to pursue the investigation based solely on the evidence.
“Wala ho tayong talagang kinikilingan dito. We will follow the evidence,” he said. “This is bigger than all of us… We really need accountability and the certainty of punishment.”
