MANILA — Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla provided details on the financial scope of the accusations during a news conference. "The amount involved here is 7.4 billion pesos ($118 million), and this has been divided in various transactions where the money was used," Remulla said.

Romualdez has denied any wrongdoing. His legal team has challenged the connections drawn by prosecutors in the case.

Bonoan was released by the Sandiganbayan after prosecutors dropped him as a co-accused to make him a state witness. This procedural change removed him from the list of defendants facing trial alongside Romualdez.

Romualdez is a cousin and former political ally of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Presidential spokesperson Claire Castro quoted President Marcos as saying he would not spare even relatives. President Marcos described the alleged scale of corruption as "horrible" and established an independent commission to investigate.

Why It Matters

The charges against a former House Speaker and relative of the president test the administration's commitment to rooting out corruption within its own ranks. The establishment of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure and the president's statement that he would not spare relatives signal a high-level response to the scandal. The case also involves the scale of alleged irregularities in public works, with billions of pesos in projects under review.

The legal proceedings involve multiple branches of government and numerous high-profile figures. With the Ombudsman indicating that more cases will be filed, the investigation may expand further. The outcome could impact the political landscape and the implementation of future infrastructure programs.

Timeline

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said, "The amount involved here is 7.4 billion pesos ($118 million), and this has been divided in various transactions where the money was used." Remulla stated that suspects attempted to hide stolen money by buying houses and donating $1 million to Harvard University. He added, "This is the just the start," noting more cases will be filed against Romualdez and others. Presidential spokesperson Claire Castro quoted President Marcos as saying he would not spare even relatives.

What's New

Later reporting confirmed that the Office of the Ombudsman has formally filed plunder charges against Martin Romualdez before the Sandiganbayan over the multibillion-peso flood control scandal. Additional accounts noted that the Office of the Ombudsman will file with the Sandiganbayan on Monday charges of plunder against Martin Romualdez in connection with his alleged links to anomalous flood control projects. The Office of the Ombudsman filed a plunder case against Martin Romualdez on September 7, 2026, over his alleged involvement in the flood-control corruption scandal.

Further details identified that the Office of the Ombudsman filed plunder charges against Leyte 1st District Rep. and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in connection with his alleged involvement in a kickback scheme from anomalous flood control projects. Background information clarified that Romualdez resigned as Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2025 following claims of his alleged involvement in ghost flood control projects. It was also reported that former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan was released by the Sandiganbayan after prosecutors dropped him as a co-accused to make him a state witness.

Romualdez's lawyer Ade Fajardo stated that Bonoan had never linked Romualdez to alleged congressional insertions in the budget or facilitated backroom dealings. Contextual reporting noted that President Bongbong Marcos addressed alleged anomalies in flood control projects during the 2025 State of the Nation Address, leading to the creation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).