Former House Speaker and Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez. Photo courtesy of PNA.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will not intervene in the Office of the Ombudsman’s planned filing of charges against his cousin, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, over his alleged involvement in the multibillion-peso flood control controversy, Malacañang said on Monday.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the President had consistently maintained a hands-off approach to the investigation, stressing that the case would proceed based on the evidence gathered by authorities.
She said Marcos had made it clear that no individual would receive special treatment and that the outcome of the investigation would be respected regardless of who might be implicated.
Castro also rejected allegations that the administration was selectively prosecuting individuals in connection with the alleged flood control anomalies.
Her remarks came after ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio questioned why those he described as the principal architects of the supposed irregularities had yet to face charges.
The Palace official said accountability must be determined through due process, adding that authorities could not prosecute or imprison individuals without sufficient evidence simply to create the appearance of equal treatment.
She noted that the investigation into the alleged corruption began in late 2025 after the President ordered a probe following his State of the Nation Address, where he publicly denounced irregularities in flood control projects.
Castro also defended the pace of the investigation, saying legal proceedings naturally require time and that both the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice had been moving the case forward as quickly as possible while observing proper procedures.