THE camp of former House Speaker and Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez assured Monday, September 7, 2026, that he will face all the allegations hurled against him in relation to an alleged web of illegal activities to amass public funds.
In a statement, Romualdez’s legal counsel Ade Fajardo said the lawmaker asks for nothing but due process and a fair hearing.
“We respect the courts and the legal process. Representative Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez will face the allegations against him in accordance with the law. We recognize the public interest surrounding this case. But ultimately, criminal liability must be determined by the evidence presented in court, under the rules and safeguards of our justice system,” Fajardo said in a statement.
“Representative Romualdez asks for no special treatment. He asks only for the same due process and fair hearing guaranteed to every Filipino. Katotohanan, ebidensya, at patas na proseso ang dapat manaig (truth, evidence, and a fair process should prevail),” he added.
Romualdez’s camp issued the statement after the Office of the Ombudsman filed a P7.4-billion plunder case against him and fugitive former Ako-Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co.
Identified as co-accused were Joselyn Tragua Serenio, who is the personal assistant of Romualdez, and Felicito Cristobal Guevarra, president of Samchan Foreign Exchange Corporation.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said the illegal scheme involved funds intended for the administration’s flood control program.
He identified Romualdez as a “big fish” in the administration’s effort against corruption involving flood control programs. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)