Romualdez says ready to face case as Ombudsman probe advances
MANILA, Philippines — Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez is prepared to face any complaint against him, his camp said Friday, July 24, days after the Ombudsman said it confirmed the filing of plunder and money laundering complaints against him.
"As we have said before, Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez is ready to face any complaint against him," Lawyer Elaine Atienza, spokesperson for Romualdez, said in a statement shared with the media.
Romualdez will be ready and able to prove his side if given a fair fight and fair judgment based on evidence, the statement read.
"We simply ask the public to let the process prevail and the evidence decide," the statement read.
Tagged as 'central figure'
This comes days after the Ombudsman announced it would file two separate complaints for preliminary investigation against Romualdez, former lawmaker Elizaldy Co and several others — one for plunder under Republic Act 7080 and another for violation of the Anti-Money Laundering Act — in connection with anomalies in government flood control projects.
Mico Clavano IV, spokesperson for the Office of the Ombudsman, said its investigation identified Romualdez as the central figure in a scheme to divert public funds meant for flood control projects.
Clavano said the case is anchored on the sworn statements of eight individuals who previously served as Co's security personnel, who allegedly witnessed and detailed the amounts Co delivered to Romualdez.
The Ombudsman said the bodyguards' testimony is supported by findings that the funds were allegedly laundered through luxury homes, condominiums, investments, and payouts.
Clavano had stressed that a complaint for preliminary investigation is not a conviction, saying every respondent will be given the opportunity to answer and that the presumption of innocence stands.
No formal charges have been filed in court, as the preliminary investigation remains ongoing.
The Court of Appeals in April ordered the freezing of assets linked to Romualdez after finding probable cause to believe they were connected to alleged plunder, graft, and bribery, while the Sandiganbayan affirmed a preliminary hold departure order against him.
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