Former House Speaker and Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez. Photo courtesy of PNA.
Former House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez may not have sat in key budget panels, but an Ombudsman official said he could still be on the hook for what went down.
Assistant Ombudsman Jose Dominic Clavano pointed to the idea of “functional control,” saying House leadership may still wield influence over the Committee on Appropriations now tied to alleged anomalies in flood control projects.
The remark came after Romualdez distanced himself from the controversy, stressing he was not part of the bicameral conference committee or the smaller group that tweaked the national budget.
Romualdez earlier said budget calls were handled by then appropriations chair Zaldy Co and Sen. Chiz Escudero, pushing back against claims that he orchestrated the scheme.
But Clavano said some within the Ombudsman see Romualdez as a key figure, noting that leadership authority over committees could carry weight even without formal membership.
He also brushed aside the defense that Romualdez was not in the so-called small committee, saying irregular deals are rarely documented and are often deliberately concealed.
Romualdez, for his part, argued that command responsibility fits the Executive branch more, saying corruption typically happens during project rollout, procurement, and fund releases, not during Congress’ approval process.
A special Ombudsman panel has found probable cause to charge Romualdez with plunder, bribery, and money laundering. The Sandiganbayan has issued a hold departure order, while the Court of Appeals has frozen his assets as the case moves forward.