According to AFP, the Philippine Inspectorate Office has submitted to the court a file accusing former Speaker of the House of Representatives Martin Romualdez - President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s cousin - of being involved in a large-scale corruption scandal involving fictitious flood control projects.
Accordingly, Mr. Romualdez, along with former MP Elizaldy Co and some others, were identified as co-defendants in the case related to an amount of up to 7.4 billion pesos (about 117.9 million USD), believed to have arisen from bribery, unusual interference in budget allocation and projects.
Speaking at a press conference, Inspector Jesus Crispin Remulla affirmed that the prosecution is based on evidence and no individual is exempted. He said that the prosecution agency will continue to prosecute more cases against Mr. Romualdez and others identified as related.
Mr. Romualdez has repeatedly denied all wrongdoings.
Lawyer Ade Fajardo - the legal representative for Mr. Romualdez - said that his client respects the court and legal procedures, and requests to be fully guaranteed procedural rights and fair trials like all Filipino citizens.
According to Mr. Fajardo, truth, evidence and a fair process need to be put first.
The incident originated from a large-scale investigation into the "ghost" flood control project. Many construction business owners, officials and Philippine politicians are accused of colluding to embezzle state budget funds through flood control projects.
In the past year, the prosecuting agency has prosecuted many incumbent and former parliamentarians, public administration officials, and representatives of construction enterprises.
In September 2025, Mr. Romualdez resigned as Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives, after his name appeared in this investigation. At that time, he said that resignation would create conditions for investigators to perform their duties without any unjust impact. He is currently still a member of the National Assembly.
