A YEAR after anomalies in the flood control projects were revealed, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the Office of the Ombudsman is close to filing multiple cases against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, his cousin, for his alleged involvement in the fiasco.
In his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 27, Marcos cited the government’s progress in the investigation of the corruption scandal that resulted in charges and imprisonment of contractors, lawmakers and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials.
“We have reached the point where, according to the Ombudsman, multiple charges against the former Speaker are close to being filed. Painful as this is for me, but we have to do what is right,” the President said at the Batasang Pambansa.
“I am not the President of my family. I am not the President of my friends. I am the President of the Philippines, and my duty is to you, my fellow Filipinos,” he added.
In September 2025, Romualdez stepped down as House speaker after his name surfaced in a controversy involving allegations of 20% to 25% kickbacks from contractors in exchange for approval of flood control projects.
According to a 104-page complaint-affidavit filed by the prosecutors of the Office of the Ombudsman on July 20, Romualdez allegedly acquired “ill-gotten wealth” worth approximately P56 billion during his term in office from 2022 to 2025.
Marcos credited public reports and complaints submitted through the “Isumbong sa Pangulo” platform for helping the government uncover alleged anomalies.
According to Marcos, authorities have recovered, frozen or preserved nearly P25 billion in funds and assets linked to the accused, with more than P800 million already returned to the National Treasury.
He added that payments for defective or non-existent flood control projects had been stopped to prevent more losses of public funds.
“All assets recovered from those involved in corruption will be returned to the public coffers. We are now leaving the prosecution of these cases to the Office of the Ombudsman and to our further strengthened National Prosecution Service,” Marcos said.
The President also expressed confidence that the judiciary would fairly resolve the cases.
“We also place our trust in the fair judgment of the courts. You can be assured that the wheels of justice are moving,” he said.
As of June, the anti-graft body is still conducting fact-finding investigations into 209 complaints involving alleged irregularities in infrastructure projects, up from 124 in 2025.
Of those cases investigated last year, 36 advanced to preliminary investigation, while four cases have already been filed before the courts this year.
Marcos first disclosed alleged irregularities in flood control projects during his 2025 SONA, after which he ordered a sweeping review of DPWH projects and initiated reforms within the agency. F
