Former House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez remains in the Philippines and will contest a court order barring him from leaving the country, his camp said Thursday, after the Sandiganbayan issued a precautionary hold departure order at the request of the Office of the Ombudsman.
The order, issued Wednesday night, placed Romualdez under travel restrictions while an investigation proceeds over alleged corruption tied to infrastructure projects, including flood control works. The restriction means he cannot leave the country while the case undergoes preliminary investigation, a step used to ensure a respondent remains within the court’s jurisdiction.
In a statement, Ade Fajardo, Romualdez’s spokesperson, rejected claims circulating online that the lawmaker had fled.
“At the outset, we categorically clarify that Rep. Romualdez is in the Philippines and has not left the country. Any report or insinuation that he has fled is false and irresponsible,” Fajardo said.
The clarification came after Romualdez was barred from a planned trip to Singapore for a checkup on his heart. Fajardo said plans for the trip went through formal channels, including travel authority and coordination with the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Immigration.
“Rep. Romualdez followed the proper process. He sought and secured the necessary travel authority, and coordinated in good faith with the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Immigration for a brief, long overdue four day medical check up with his attending physician in Singapore,” he said.
Fajardo said the camp will challenge the order and respond once formally notified of the complaint.
“We will avail of all appropriate legal remedies to question the issuance of this order before the proper forum,” he said.
“We expect due process to be observed. Once formally furnished we will respond fully before the proper forum,” he added.
