Philippines: Marcos cousin Martin Romualdez charged with plunder over flood control scandal

Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, a cousin of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and a former speaker of the House of Representatives, has been charged with plunder in connection with the alleged multibillion-peso flood-control scandal shaking the government. The Philippine Ombudsman filed the case at the country’s anti-corruption court on Monday, but the court has not issued an arrest warrant.

Romualdez is the first lawmaker close to Marcos to face charges in the Sandiganbayan over the alleged kickbacks. He was charged alongside Elizaldy Co, the former chair of the House Appropriations Committee, who is described as a fugitive in Europe. Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla confirmed the filing, while Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said the case had been assigned to the court’s 3rd Division, which will decide whether to issue a warrant.

In the Philippines, plunder applies when a public officer criminally accumulates at least 50 million pesos in ill-gotten wealth. It is a non-bailable offense. Remulla has publicly described Romualdez as a central figure and alleged mastermind in the scandal, accusing him and Co of orchestrating the diversion of funds intended for flood-control and mitigation projects from mid-2022 to 2025.

Romualdez is a third-generation politician from a family that has ruled Leyte for nearly three quarters of a century. He is the nephew of former first lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos and currently represents Tacloban City’s first district. The lawyer and reported billionaire has business interests in mining and newspaper publishing.

He managed the successful Marcos-Sara Duterte campaign in the 2022 presidential election and became House speaker through his relationship with the president. The article says whistleblowers testified before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, while Co, who is hiding in Europe, disclosed alleged irregular insertions into the 2023 to 2025 national budgets that he said ultimately reached Marcos Jr. and Romualdez and totaled billions of pesos.