Despite the recantation of some potential witnesses, cases related to the flood control anomaly will be filed against former Speaker Martin Romualdez, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said Thursday.
‘Yes, why not? It’s already there anyway,’ Remulla said in Filipino on the sidelines of a Senate finance committee hearing on the proposed budget for the Office of the Ombudsman.
‘[The looming cases] are just there. We’re not stopping, and we have not stopped. We have been working hard, and it will come out very soon. You just relax, we’re almost there,’ he told reporters.
He said the recantation by some of the former security aides of ex-Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, including former Marine Orly Guteza, who withdrew his testimony before the Senate that he had delivered suitcases containing millions of pesos in cash to Romualdez’s residence, was merely a ‘smokescreen’ tactic to divert attention from the former House speaker.
‘That’s nothing. … That’s only a small part of the case. Of course, that’s being played up by his lawyer,’ he said.
Remulla said the Ombudsman is taking a careful approach to ensure it can build and file a strong case against Romualdez, who, he said, has vast resources to manipulate people, including the media, and shield himself from accountability.
‘There’s just a lot that really needs to be finished so we can file a strong case… weak cases cannot be filed here. He has a lot of money… a lot of lawyers,’ Remulla said.
‘As you can see, everyone is on the payroll. There are a lot of lawyers talking, you know that. I will not be surprised if they also attempt to… offer you whatever. I will not be surprised. He has too much money; it’s the people’s money,’ he added.
Ade Fajardo, Romualdez’s lawyer and spokesperson, earlier lashed out at the Office of the Ombudsman anew, questioning why the anti-graft body appears to be fixated on his client when there is supposedly no evidence against him