Philippine President's Lawmaker Cousin Charged over Flood Control Scandal
- On Monday, September 7, the Office of the Ombudsman filed a plunder case against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, involving 7.4 billion pesos in alleged bribes and anomalous budget allocations.
- Prosecutors allege Romualdez served as the "central figure" in a scheme diverting funds meant for flood control projects, following his resignation as Speaker of the House of Representatives in September 2025.
- The Ombudsman seeks to use former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan as a state witness to testify against Romualdez; the filing also names former Representative Zaldy Co, Joselyn Traguia Serenio, and Felicito Cristobal Guevarra as co-accused.
- Romualdez, who remains a member of Congress, denies wrongdoing and claims the budget process involves the entire House and Senate, while Lawyer Ade Fajardo stated his client respects the legal process.
- Plunder is a non-bailable offense punishable by life imprisonment in the Philippines, and this case targets "ghost" infrastructure projects that have long plagued the Southeast Asian nation of 112 million people.
41 Articles
41 Articles
Sandiganbayan orders Romualdez arrest - BusinessWorld Online
THE SANDIGANBAYAN on Monday ordered the arrest of former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez hours after he was charged with plunder over a P7.4-billion kickback scheme involving flood control projects. The anti-graft court’s Third Division also issued a hold-departure order against Mr. Romualdez, former Party-list Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” S. Co and two private individuals. The […]
Oskaloosa Herald
Former Philippine House speaker arrested for alleged kickbacks
A Philippine lawmaker has been arrested for allegedly pocketing millions from flood control projects. Rep. Martin Romualdez, a former House speaker and cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., faces plunder charges. The arrest warrant was served Monday in a hospital.…
Malay Mail
AlKhaleej TodayPhilippine prosecutors charge Marcos’ lawmaker cousin with plunder over ‘ghost’ flood projects
MANILA, Sept 7 — Philippine prosecutors filed a criminal charge today against a lawmaker and cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos over his alleged involvement in a massive...
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