Representatives for former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez are counting on an impartial legal process regarding potential plunder charges, maintaining that the lawmaker is innocent of any wrongdoing.
Spokesperson Atty. Elaine Atienza released a statement Friday afternoon, July 24, reiterating his readiness to confront the allegations directly.
”Tulad po ng nasabi na namin noon pa man, handa si Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez na harapin ang anumang reklamo laban sa kanya,” Atienza stated.
”Naniniwala kami na kung magkakaroon ng patas na laban at patas na paghuhusga batay sa ebidensya, mapapatunayan ni Rep. Romualdez ang kanyang panig,” she added.
The statement followed a filing by the Office of the Ombudsman’s Special Panel of Investigators, which submitted a supplemental complaint-affidavit to pull more respondents into a broader case against Romualdez and several associates. The allegations include graft, plunder, bribery, and money laundering.
In response to the expanded probe, Atienza appealed for restraint and trust in due process.
”Hinihiling lamang namin sa publiko na hayaang manaig ang proseso at ebidensya ang magpasya,” she said.
Meanwhile, legal counsel Atty. Ade Fajardo strongly pushed back against claims from Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano suggesting the former Speaker attempted to flee the country, labeling the assertion entirely “baseless.”
Fajardo clarified that Romualdez has not left the Philippines since the onset of the flood control investigation and even cooperated voluntarily with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI)—a body created by his cousin, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to examine the issue.
Fajardo stressed that the Ombudsman’s latest development merely marks the beginning of a preliminary inquiry and in no way serves as a declaration of guilt, reinforcing that the former Speaker remains fully prepared to address any formal charges.
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The camp of former Speaker Martin Romualdez says he is prepared to face graft and plunder complaints before the Ombudsman, calling for due process and a fair evaluation of evidence. ️⚖️