Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s camp said the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s (ICI) referral to the Office of the Ombudsman – which was issued with no finding of guilt against the lawmaker – affirms their confidence in the commission’s impartiality in handling the case.
Romualdez’s lawyer, Atty. Ade Fajardo, delivered his statement in a video sent to the media on Monday morning. This came after they received a copy of the ICI’s November 21 referral to the anti-graft body.
‘This clear statement strengthens our confidence in the Commission’s impartiality and underscores the constitutional role of the Ombudsman as the sole authority empowered to determine accountability,’ Fajardo said.
‘We trust that the Ombudsman will conduct an independent, thorough, and objective review of the evidence submitted. From the outset, we have consistently maintained that a fair and complete assessment of the record will reflect the truth,’ he added.
The referral includes Romualdez’s sworn affidavit, stenographic transcript, and related materials from his voluntary appearance before the ICI on October 14. It remains unclear whether this referral is the same joint report that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) submitted to the Ombudsman last Friday.
‘We acknowledge the referral submitted by the ICI to the Office of the Ombudsman on November 21 and welcome the Commission’s completion of its fact-gathering mandate. We respect the ICI’s commitment to transmit all gathered evidence to the Office of the Ombudsman for further evaluation,’ Fajardo said.
‘Importantly, the ICI explicitly states that the Referral is issued without any finding or conclusion of guilt or liability on the part of former Speaker Romualdez,’ he added.
Last week, the DPWH and the ICI recommended the prosecution of Romualdez and former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co for plunder, graft, and direct bribery in connection with flood control projects worth billions of pesos.
The joint DPWH-ICI referral also included members of the boards of Sunwest Inc. and Hi-Tone Construction and Development Corp., two public works contractors linked to Co, who were involved in the flood control projects from 2016 to 2025.