President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Friday the filing of cases against former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez in relation to an alleged corruption mess is already underway.
‘As I mentioned in my previous report, I will continue to update the public about the cases and the information we are receiving regarding flood control projects that are not in good condition,’ he said, speaking Filipino, in a short video statement uploaded on social media.
‘And so now, I want to inform our countrymen that all the information gathered by the ICI and the DPWH will be referred and turned over to the Ombudsman for investigation. This concerns information about former Speaker Martin Romualdez and Zaldy Co,’ he added.
Once all evidence is gathered, Marcos said cases of plunder, anti-graft violations, or indirect bribery might be filed against Co and Romualdez.
‘We are confident that the Ombudsman simply follows the evidence, and wherever the evidence leads, that is where our investigation will go,’ he also said.
Earlier this week, the Office of the Ombudsman filed in the anti-graft court the first batch of cases against Co and several officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways and Sunwest Inc. over ‘serious irregularities’ in a P289.4-million road dike project in Oriental Mindoro province.
‘After two months of investigation, gathering evidence, and sifting through testimonies of witnesses, the Office of the Ombudsman announces today that we have issued a resolution finding probable cause to file criminal charges in connection with serious irregularities uncovered in a major flood control project in Oriental Mindoro,’ said Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano.
The Ombudsman’s panel of prosecutors recommended no bail for the malversation charge since it involved an amount exceeding P8.8 million.