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Delon Porcalla - The Philippine Star
April 8, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — There is no evidence linking Rep. Martin Romualdez to any ghost or substandard projects that the Office of the Ombudsman said could be basis for the filing of plunder charges against him, his lawyer said yesterday.
“We remain confident that these matters will be resolved based on evidence and due process, not politics or speculation,” said lawyer Ade Fajardo.
In a statement released Monday afternoon, Romualdez – a maternal first cousin of President Marcos – expressed his willingness to cooperate with the office of Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla.
Remulla told justice reporters Monday they are in the process of holding former Senate president Francis Escudero and Romualdez – both lawyers – liable for plunder, and that a case may be filed before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan by next month.
“We respect the processes of the Office of the Ombudsman and will fully cooperate if and when a formal proceeding is initiated. We have taken note of news reports regarding the alleged preparation of a complaint involving Rep. Romualdez,” Fajardo said.
“To be clear, this refers only to a reported preparation of a complaint – there is no filed case, no finding of probable cause and no determination of liability at this time,” he pointed out.
Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the administration has always adhered to due process and that filing of charges involves a careful scrutiny and should not be done to gain media mileage.
“We know that President Marcos Jr. led the investigation into the anomalous flood control projects and he wants to hold to account those who should be held to account. It should rely on evidence and due process is needed,” the Palace press officer said in a text message.
“This administration does not engage in the hasty filing of baseless cases and the planting of evidence. The filing of cases should be studied and should not be done for media exposure, unlike others who make noise but who do not help in the investigation and in efforts to hold wrongdoers accountable,” she added.
In a related development, House secretary-general Cheloy Garafil said she “fully trusts” the ombudsman and its mandate and has no plan to defy its order to produce the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth or SALN of the 318 members of the House of Representatives.
“All the communications sent by the ombudsman to the House have been received and are now under process as per House rules and regulations. At present, the House only has Tuesdays and Wednesdays as onsite work as part of the WFH and energy-saving measures,” she said. — Daphne Galvez, Alexis Romero
