Marcos Jr. Says Ombudsman Preparing Cases vs. Romualdez Amid Graft Crackdown

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday, July 27, said the Office of the Ombudsman is preparing to file multiple cases against his cousin, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, as the government presses its crackdown on the alleged flood control scam. In his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), Marcos said contractors, senior officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and lawmakers implicated in the alleged anomalies have already been charged and detained. "Mayroon nang mga unang nakasuhan at nakulong: mga kontratista; matataas na opisyal ng DPWH; pati na ang mga mambabatas," the president said. (The first to be charged and jailed include contractors, senior officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and even lawmakers.) Marcos said the Ombudsman is now close to filing multiple cases against the former speaker. "Dumating na tayo sa puntong ayon sa Ombudsman ay malapit na ang paghahain ng patong-patong na kaso laban sa dating speaker. Masakit sa akin ito pero kailangan natin itong gawin," he said. (We have reached the point where, according to the Ombudsman, multiple cases are about to be filed against the former speaker. This is painful for me, but we have to do it.) "Hindi ako pangulo ng aking pamilya. Hindi ako pangulo ng aking kaibigan. Ako ay pangulo ng Pilipinas, at ang tungkulin ko ay sa inyo — ang aking mga kapwa Pilipino," he added. (I am not the president of my family. I am not the president of my friends. I am the President of the Philippines, and my duty is to you — my fellow Filipinos.) Marcos also said the government has recovered, frozen and preserved P25 billion in assets, which have been returned to the national treasury. Last week, the Office of the Ombudsman filed a supplemental complaint affidavit against Romualdez, former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co and several others for preliminary investigation. The complaint alleged that Romualdez and Co amassed P56 billion in ill-gotten wealth from 2022 to 2025 through the alleged diversion and misuse of public funds and by receiving undue pecuniary benefits from government transactions. The respondents are facing allegations of plunder, graft and direct bribery.