Romualdez ready to face Ombudsman probe, lawyer says

Former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez is prepared to face any complaint from the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the flood control anomalies, his lawyer Ade Fajardo said, while maintaining that there is no evidence linking the lawmaker to the allegations. Fajardo stated in a statement, "Former Speaker Romualdez is ready to face the process. But there is really no proof or evidence against him in connection with the flood control anomalies. There is still no preliminary investigation; the matter is currently at the case-build-up stage." He added, "It’s simple actually. If there is no participation, we can anticipate that there is no evidence." Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla had said on Friday that his office is very close to finishing its fact-finding investigation against Romualdez over the flood control controversy. Remulla also said the case is “about ready for preliminary investigation” and that he wanted to make sure the cases filed can stand in court. Fajardo said that the changing testimonies of the bodyguards of former lawmaker Zaldy Co, who claimed to have delivered kickbacks to government officials, are not credible. Romualdez and Co are under investigation for alleged kickbacks from anomalous flood control projects. Co is already facing corruption and malversation of public funds charges before the Sandiganbayan over a P289-million irregular flood control project in Oriental Mindanao. "The respected Ombudsman has admitted that, up to now, there is still no preliminary investigation. He has also not yet been issued a subpoena by the Office of the Ombudsman," Fajardo said. "We are concerned about this because the former Speaker must be given the opportunity to formally respond to these allegations before any conclusion is reached," he added. The Office of the Ombudsman in the Philippines is an independent body tasked with investigating and prosecuting public officials for wrongdoing, and its inquiries often carry significant political weight. Former Speaker Romualdez is a cousin of current House Speaker Martin Romualdez and a prominent political figure in his own right. Source: GMA News Philippines