Resignation or not, former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez — cousin of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. — is not off the hook from the investigation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) into the anomalous flood control projects.
According to Palace Press Officer Usec. Claire Castro, this proves that the commission created by the President will spare no one and will hold accountable those responsible for irregularities in public works projects that were supposed to save lives and families from disasters.
“Mag-resign o hindi siya mag-resign, maaari pa rin siyang maimbestigahan,” Castro said in a Malacañang press briefing on Wednesday, September 17.
She added: “At kung masasangkot man ang kaniyang pangalan at may mapapakitang ebidensiya laban sa kaniya, mas magandang ito ay kaniyang depensahan sa pamamagitan ng mga records na maaari niyang ipakita.”
It will be recalled that during the opening of the House session yesterday, Romualdez formally resigned as House Speaker to avoid casting a shadow over the ICI probe. His name was dragged into the controversy by Sarah and Curlee Discaya, who claimed he received a 25% kickback from the flood control projects.
Castro further revealed that President Marcos wants the ICI to produce immediate results from its probe, which officially convened last Tuesday, September 16.
She added that the administration has already received over 16,000 complaints through the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website since its launch.