House Speaker Martin Romualdez faces arrest over P7.4-billion plunder case

Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez has been placed under arrest on plunder charges, allegations that he has repeatedly denied and which his lawyer said he is ready to face in court. Born on November 14, 1963, Romualdez is the son of the late Leyte governor and diplomat Benjamin “Kokoy” Romualdez and Juliette Romualdez. He is also known as a “presidential cousin,” being one of the first cousins of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Senator Imee Marcos. His father is a brother of former first lady Imelda Marcos, the President’s mother. Romualdez is married to Tingog Party-list Representative Yedda Marie Romualdez, with whom he has four children. Romualdez has been the representative of Leyte's 1st congressional district from 2007 until 2016, and from 2019 to the present. His current term will run until 2028. In July 2022, he was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 19th Congress and was reelected for the 20th Congress with no other lawmaker nominated for the post. He launched a nationwide campaign for the Senate during the 2016 national elections, ultimately missing a seat after finishing 15th in the final vote tally. Before entering public service, Romualdez earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Cornell University in 1985. He went on to finish his law degree at the University of the Philippines College of Law in 1992 and passed the Philippine Bar Examinations in 1993. Flood control scandal On Monday, September 7, the Office of the Ombudsman officially lodged a P7.4-billion plunder case against Romualdez, former House appropriations committee head Zaldy Co (Ako Bicol party-list), Romualdez's personal assistant Joselyn Tragua Serenio, and Samchan Foreign Exchange Corporation president Felicito Cristobal Guevarra. The formal charge alleges that Romualdez and Co leveraged their official positions to routinely collect kickbacks, shares, and other financial gains totaling a minimum of P7.4 billion across at least 15 separate instances. Later that same day, the Sandiganbayan Third Division issued warrants of arrest against them. "The issuance of a warrant of arrest signifies only that, after personally evaluating the records, the Court found probable cause to believe that the accused committed the offense charged," the Third Division said. "Probable cause for the issuance of a warrant of arrest exists when the facts and circumstances alleged by the prosecution would lead a reasonably discreet and prudent person to believe that an offense has been committed by the person sought to be arrested," it added. Romualdez has been placed under arrest at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City, where he is confined, citing cardiovascular health and a brain condition. –NB, GMA News