Romualdez camp seeks due process from Ombudsman amid new allegations

The camp of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Sunday appealed to the Office of the Ombudsman for fairness and an opportunity to respond to any new allegations against him. Ade Fajardo, Romualdez’s legal counsel and spokesperson, made the appeal following reports that former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan may be pressured to link Romualdez to the flood control scandal. “We are requesting the Ombudsman to inform us if there is any allegation from Secretary Bonoan against former Speaker Romualdez and to give us ample time to comment on it,” Fajardo said. “Fair play and due process require that such information and opportunity be accorded to us at this point in the process, the preliminary investigation stage, not if and when the Ombudsman decides to file charges in court,” he added. Romualdez’s legal counsel also requested information on the reported 28 new witnesses before the Ombudsman, including any statements they may have made against their client. “There is also the report that the Ombudsman has 28 new witnesses. We would like to know if there is any statement from them against our client, and we would like as well to have the opportunity to respond,” he said. GMA News Online has reached out to the Office of the Ombudsman for comment. The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division earlier granted the Ombudsman’s motion to drop Bonoan from the plunder and graft charges involving former Senator Jinggoy Estrada. Bonoan was among Estrada’s four co-accused whom the Ombudsman charged in May with allegedly conspiring to collect more than P500 million in kickbacks from flood control projects. On August 20, Romualdez filed a supplemental affidavit asking the Ombudsman to stop the preliminary investigation against him. This came after former Marines, including security aide Orly Guteza, withdrew their allegations against Romualdez. In his new affidavit, Guteza claimed that Sen. Rodante Marcoleta and former House lawmaker Mike Defensor had tapped him to fabricate accusations against Romualdez in exchange for money and scholarships for his children. Guteza said he regretted what he did and asked for forgiveness, saying he had been swayed by promises from Marcoleta and Defensor. With the retraction by Guteza and other former Marines, Fajardo said there was no more “credible evidence” against Romualdez. “There has been no accusation from any of them since this controversy erupted more than a year ago. Of course, it would surprise us, to say the least, if an allegation surfaces now or in the future,” he said. — MCG, GMA News