The Office of the Ombudsman on Monday filed plunder charges against former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez, resigned Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, and two private individuals over their alleged involvement in the flood control corruption scandal.
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano confirmed that the case had been filed before the Sandiganbayan.
“Na-receive na po ng Sandiganbayan ang kasong finile namin at dadaan po siya sa proseso dito naman sa Sandiganbayan,” Clavano said as he arrived at the anti-graft court on Monday, September 7.
Based on the complaint document obtained by Val Gonzales, the Ombudsman also charged the following individuals:
- Joselyn Tragua Serenio, identified as Romualdez’s personal aide
- Felicito Cristoval Guevarra, president of Samchan Foreign Exchange Corporation
In a complaint-affidavit submitted for preliminary investigation on July 24, state investigators alleged that Romualdez and Co conspired to amass approximately P56 billion in ill-gotten wealth through alleged kickbacks from infrastructure projects between 2022 and 2025.
The Ombudsman said the two committed “concerted and coordinated acts” to unlawfully amass, accumulate, and acquire the alleged ill-gotten wealth.
The investigators also alleged that portions of the money were delivered by bodyguards through suitcases.
The plunder complaint was raffled off to the Sandiganbayan Third Division, chaired by Associate Justice Karl Miranda.
The division will determine whether there is probable cause to issue warrants of arrest against the respondents.
