Non-Bailable Plunder Charges Hit Marcos Cousin Over Flood Scandal
The Philippine Ombudsman filed non-bailable plunder charges on Monday against former House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez at the Sandiganbayan anti-corruption court over a multi-billion-peso flood control scandal. The Tacloban City representative and cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. faces the felony alongside former Appropriations Committee chairperson Elizaldy Co.
Sandiganbayan’s 3rd Division is reviewing the case file to decide on issuing an arrest warrant, according to Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano. Philippine Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla publicly identified Romualdez as a central mastermind behind a systemic diversion of public flood control and mitigation infrastructure funds spanning mid-2022 to 2025.
Investigators allege the corruption scheme involved irregular budget insertions between 2023 and 2025, directing public capital into favored contractors within the Department of Public Works and Highways and accounts linked to the political dynasty. Whistleblowers previously testified before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee about cash deliveries to properties owned by Romualdez, though some witnesses have since recanted their statements. Former government engineers also claimed the lawmaker pocketed shares from rigged infrastructure allocations.
In the Philippines, plunder constitutes a serious criminal offense reserved for public officers accused of accumulating at least P50 million, roughly equivalent to Dh3 million, in ill-gotten wealth. The charge carries a non-bailable status under local statutes.
Romualdez, a third-generation politician from Leyte province and nephew of former first lady Imelda Marcos, has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Co, his co-accused, remains a fugitive in Europe. Kabataan partylist representative Renee Co stated that the legal action marks an initial step, asserting that broader accountability must follow.
