Government Corruption

Ombudsman pursues plunder case against Romualdez for P56B flood control kickback

The Office of the Ombudsman announced that its plunder and money laundering complaint against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez has reached the preliminary investigation stage, alleging a P56 billion kickback scheme tied to flood control projects. The Sandiganbayan has issued a precautionary hold departure order against Romualdez, with the Ombudsman claiming he has attempted to leave the country despite the ban, though Romualdez's camp denies any attempt to evade the legal process.