Leyte Rep. and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez is facing mounting legal pressure in the flood-control corruption probe, with assets linked to the case frozen by court order, foreign travel blocked through a Sandiganbayan precautionary hold departure order, and up to 45 investigations moving under the Office of the Ombudsman.
Ombudsman Boying Remulla said a second money laundering complaint against Romualdez is being prepared, adding another legal front to a case already tied to a Court of Appeals freeze order secured by the Anti-Money Laundering Council following an Ombudsman complaint.
“’Yung 2nd money laundering case against Martin Romualdez is being prepared. Malapit na,” Remulla said on dzRH’s “Executive Session.”
The freeze order covered 25 bank accounts and 10 insurance policies under the lawmaker’s name, along with assets tied to related parties. Reports also identified a ₱1.665-billion Forbes Park estate in Makati as among the assets connected to the freeze proceedings. A freeze order prevents covered assets from being withdrawn, transferred, or moved while proceedings continue.
Romualdez is also covered by a precautionary hold departure order from the Sandiganbayan, docketed as E-SB-26-PHDO-0002, barring him from leaving the Philippines while complaints against him remain before the Ombudsman.
Remulla said Romualdez’s request to travel to Singapore for medical treatment drew scrutiny because it came after reports that former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co had been detained in Prague.
“It was very coincidental that after Zaldy Co was arrested in Europe, Romualdez would suddenly want to leave the country,” Remulla said.
The Ombudsman is also preparing a plunder complaint that Remulla said has reached a 61-page first draft involving an alleged conspiracy covering members of both the Senate and the House.
Romualdez has denied masterminding the alleged ₱56-billion flood-control kickback scheme and said he was not part of the budget meetings in question.
Corruption has always been the biggest problem of the Philippines. Romualdez is widely regarded as the single most corrupt Filipino politician of the 21st century — and the former boss and co-conspirator of Zaldy Co. The nation has faith in Ombudsman Boying Remulla and the Office of the Ombudsman to do the right thing.
