Plunder charges filed vs. Martin Romualdez over flood control kickback scheme
The Office of the Ombudsman filed plunder charges against Leyte 1st District Rep. and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in connection with his alleged involvement in a kickback scheme from anomalous flood control projects.
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano was seen at the Sandiganbayan around noon on Monday, Sept. 7. Later in the day, the Sandiganbayan Judicial Records Division confirmed the filing of charges against Romualdez as well as former Rep. Zaldy Co and others.
Malacañang: Marcos won't oppose charges vs Romualdez
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in her Monday press briefing that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will not oppose the filing of charges against his cousin.
"Ang sa Pangulo naman po, kung sino ang dapat managot ay dapat na panagutin. Kung sino man po yan: kamag-anak, kaibigan, kaalyado, o kalaban sa politika," Castro said.
"Kung ano ang isinisigaw ng ebidensya, dapat lamang itong mailahad," she continued, adding it's up to the accused to defend themselves based on evidence.
"Iginagalang natin ang aksyon ng Ombudsman dahil ito naman ay nasa kanilang mandato," she said.
Castro added that while she hasn't asked Marcos about his personal feelings regarding Romualdez's alleged connection to the flood control scam, based on Marcos' 2025 State of the Nation Address, "Puwede nating masabi na hindi maganda 'yung pakiramdam na ganito ang nangyari."
"Pero 'pag ebidensya ang nagsusumigaw, kailangan itong makita ng taumbayan," Castro said.
Romualdez and Co have yet to release a statement on the development as of writing.
Corruption allegations
On July 24, the Ombudsman filed a complaint for preliminary investigation against Romualdez and Co for plunder, direct and indirect bribery, graft, and money laundering.
Per the Ombudsman, his office was pursuing the investigation due to the respondents' "concerted and coordinated acts, performed in conspiracy with one another, of unlawfully amassing, accumulating, and acquiring ill-gotten wealth" from 2022 to 2025 amounting to approximately P56 billion.
Clavano, at the time, said the evidence gathered by the Office was enough to warrant a full inquiry into whether the case could be filed in court.
In a video statement posted on April 21, Romualdez addressed talk that he was the mastermind of the flood control scam.
"How can I be the mastermind? I was the former Speaker of the House of Representatives," he said, adding that Congress is not the sole entity involved in how the national budget is conceived, executed, implemented, bid out, supervised, and completed.
"I will defend myself fully. I will not allow myself to be turned into a scapegoat so that others who are actually accountable can walk away clean. If this is a political play to push me out and close the story, tarnishing my name and my reputation, then I'm telling everyone now, I will not go quietly and I will not go alone. I will not be the fall guy for other people's corruption," Romualdez said.
Later in the video, he said Sen. Chiz Escudero and Co were "instrumental" in making decisions on the budget. Romualdez also said he did not take part in the BiCam and the Small Committee budget deliberations.
Co, meanwhile, has been in hiding since an arrest warrant was issued against him in November 2025 over his alleged involvement in the flood control scam. His last publicly known location, as of May 2026, was in Paris, France, according to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla.
'More big fish'
At a press briefing later in the day, Ombusdman Jesus Crispin Remulla said the plunder case against Romualdez is just the beginning of a series of cases.
"Marami pang kasong ihahain dito. Bukod sa plunder, may iba pang plunder cases at marami rito, money laundering cases," Remulla said.
"Sa dami ng perang nakulimbat, wala nang paglagyan, ibinili na nang ibinili ng iba't ibang mga bahay na hindi naman kailangan, pero bumili pa rin ng bahay. Meron pa ngang dinonate sa Harvard, ilang milyong dolyar," he continued.
Aside from Romualdez and Co, the Ombudsman filed plunder cases against two other individuals: "Isang nagtatrabaho sa kanyang bahay na malaki ang papel, at isang money changer na gumawa ng paraan para mailabas ang mga pera mula sa Pilipinas papunta sa ibang lugar o kaya't papunta sa mga binayarang mga bahay na binili ni former speaker Romualdez sa ngalan ng iba't ibang mga kompanya," Remulla said.
According to Remulla, his office will be filing cases against more individuals allegedly involved in corruption.
"Meron pang iba 'yan, hindi pa lang tapos. Si Loren Legarda, hindi pa bumabalik. Baka naman ayaw na niyang bumalik. Isa pang big fish 'yan, sila ni Leandro Leviste... mag-inang legislator na ngayon ay nagkukumahog at nagtatago sa ibang lugar," Remulla said.
Legarda and her son are the subjects of an investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman over their P10 billion solar power congressional franchise. They left the country separately on Aug. 2 via Hong Kong but were both bound for France, per National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag, citing immigration records.
Remulla said he is set to fly to France in the next few days to speak to the country's Justice Ministry and other agencies regarding the presence of Co, Legarda, and Leviste there.
"Nagiging trend na, na baka doon ang maging taguan nila. Paliliitin natin ang mundo," Remulla said.
"Very liberal state [ang Pransya]. Pero 'pag nakita nila na magkakaroon sila ng reputation na taguan ng ill-gotten wealth, tingin ko aayawan din sila [Co] ng taumbayan doon," Remulla said.
