DETAINED former House Speaker Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez’s personal assistant, who is one of his co-accused in the P7.4-billion plunder case, has left the country.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Joselyn Serenio had already left the Philippines before the Sandiganbayan issued a hold departure order (HDO) against her and the other respondents.
The BI did not disclose details of Serenio’s departure, citing data privacy laws.
The bureau said another co-accused, Felicito Cristobal Guevarra, president of Samchan Foreign Exchange Corporation, remains in the Philippines.
“The BI will continue to strictly enforce the HDO and undertake appropriate immigration measures within its mandate,” the agency said in a statement.
Romualdez, former Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co, Serenio and Guevarra are facing a P7.4-billion plunder charge filed by the Office of the Ombudsman over alleged kickbacks linked to flood control and other government projects from 2022 to 2025.
Romualdez is currently detained at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas, while Co is believed to be in France.
The Ombudsman has said it is preparing bribery, money laundering, and “more plunder” cases against Romualdez amounting to over P50 billion. / TPM