Former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez has called on the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to issue a public apology and retract statements claiming he planned to flee the country.
In a letter sent on July 24, 2026, to Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado, Romualdez’s legal representatives from Solis Medina Fajardo & Malilong Law Offices strongly condemned the agency’s remarks as baseless and damaging.
“Rep. Romualdez is constrained to register his strongest objection and protest against the circulation by the Bureau of Immigration (the ‘Bureau’) of false and unverified reports, specifically its supposed receipt of ‘information’ regarding purported plans of Rep. Romualdez to leave the country,” the letter stated.
“These reports are patently false, misleading, and gravely prejudicial to Rep. Romualdez and the proceedings pending before the Sandiganbayan in People v. Romualdez.”
The dispute follows a July 21 comment by BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval, who disclosed that the bureau had “received information that there were plans that did not push through.”
The Office of the Ombudsman subsequently referenced her statement to publicly claim that Romualdez tried to leave the Philippines.
Romualdez’s defense counsel asserted that the BI’s statement falsely painted the lawmaker as a fugitive trying to dodge prosecution.
“By their plain import, the confirmation attributed to the Bureau create the unmistakable public impression that Rep. Romualdez attempted to flee the country to evade the jurisdiction of Sandiganbayan and the pending criminal investigation against him. This is a grave accusation with no basis in fact, and it directly undermines Rep. Romualdez’s constitutional right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty,” the letter said.
The legal team emphasized that the lawmaker’s travel restrictions are currently pending before the courts and should not be debated publicly by state entities.
“The restrictions on Rep. Romualdez’s right to travel are presently sub judice and, as such, are not proper subjects of public comment, discussion, or speculation, much less the dissemination of unverified, false, or fabricated information. Public statements of this nature issued by a law enforcement agency tend to influence public opinion on a matter still sub judice and impede the fair and orderly administration of justice,” the letter added.
“At no time has Rep. Romualdez taken any action to evade any lawful court order or judicial process, or to place himself beyond the reach of Philippine authorities,” the letter stated.
Invoking Republic Act 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, the defense demanded that the BI reveal its source, explain how it verified the tip, identify the officers who approved the public statement, and rectify the narrative.
“If the Bureau possesses competent evidence supporting the serious public imputation that our client intended to evade legal proceedings, it should identify, verify, and produce such evidence,” the letter said.
“Absent such evidence, the statements attributed to the Bureau are wholly baseless, irresponsible, and gravely prejudicial to our client. An immediate retraction and a public apology is, therefore, warranted,” it added.
“This demand is made in the interest of ensuring that our client’s constitutional rights are protected. Failure of the Bureau to satisfactorily respond with corrective action shall constrain our client to pursue all remedies available to him under the law,” the letter added.