Romualdez lawyer questions Ombudsman’s fixation on client

MANILA, Philippines — The lawyer of Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has lashed out against the Office of the Ombudsman anew, questioning why the constitutional body appears to be fixated on his client when there is supposedly no evidence against him. In a statement on Wednesday, Romualdez’s lawyer and spokesperson Ade Fajardo said he cannot understand why the Ombudsman continues to investigate Romualdez when there is "no evidence" against the lawmaker. Fajardo said he suspects that political motivations are behind the Ombudsman's actions. Romualdez is running for Speaker of the House. Romualdez’s camp has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Earlier, the Ombudsman had dismissed the complaint against Romualdez for alleged violation of the Constitution and for supposed betrayal of public trust. However, Fajardo said the Ombudsman’s reinvestigation of the case is "unnecessary and highly irregular." He added that the Ombudsman’s insistence on pursuing the case despite the lack of evidence is "a clear indication of bias and persecution." Fajardo vowed to continue defending Romualdez and vowed to expose the Ombudsman’s alleged political agenda. "We will not be intimidated by these baseless accusations and we will fight them with all our might," Fajardo said. He urged the Ombudsman to focus on real issues and cases that have merit, instead of wasting resources on politically motivated witch hunts. "The Ombudsman should be an independent and impartial body, not a tool for political vendetta," Fajardo said. He also called on other lawmakers to stand up against the Ombudsman’s alleged abuse of power. "We need to protect our democratic institutions from those who seek to undermine them for their own selfish interests," Fajardo said.