Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson asserted that the arrest of former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez counters allegations that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. lacks the determination to address flood control irregularities.
Lacson emphasized that the legal process must proceed, allowing judicial proceedings to determine the outcome based on presented evidence.
”With the arrest of his cousin, former Speaker Romualdez, the President’s critics who have accused him of weak leadership and a lack of resolve in confronting the flood-control mess should now be silenced by his action,” Lacson wrote on social media on Monday, September 7.
The senator commended the Office of the Ombudsman for investigating the matter and urged public support for the institution.
”The Ombudsman, likewise, deserves all the praise and support from the Filipino people,” he stated.
Lacson noted that the proceedings should prioritize judicial evidence while granting Romualdez the opportunity to present his defense.
”Let the trial proceed and let the evidence speak. Most importantly, the former Speaker is now given his day in court,” Lacson added.
His statements followed the service of an arrest warrant issued against Romualdez by the Sandiganbayan on Monday evening.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed that law enforcement officers informed Romualdez of the warrant and his constitutional rights prior to initiating booking procedures at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City, where Romualdez was hospitalized.
Police secured the facility following his arrival, and Remulla confirmed that the former Speaker is classified as a person deprived of liberty.
The law enforcement action stems from an official investigation into flood control project irregularities.
During his tenure as chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, Lacson previously invited Romualdez to participate in committee hearings regarding the issue, though Romualdez did not attend the proceedings.