Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez has requested to postpone his hearing on Oct. 22 at the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) ‘as he is scheduled to undergo a medical procedure,’ the probe body said Saturday.
The commission said it will issue another advisory to announce the date of the next hearing.
ICI Executive Director Brian Hosaka said Friday that the commission decided to conduct a second hearing with Romualdez next week to carefully review his affidavit from the first meeting.
Romualdez, the representative of Leyte’s 1st District, first appeared before the ICI on Oct. 14 after he was invited to ‘discuss his familiarity and personal knowledge as Speaker of the House regarding the National Budget insertions, as well as DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) flood control projects.’
After the hearing, Hosaka said the ICI commissioners questioned Romualdez about allegations against him, particularly claims that he received kickbacks from government infrastructure projects. However, Hosaka added that the congressman denied the allegations.
Hosaka also said that the information provided by Romualdez was ‘helpful,’ as he was able to clarify his and his colleagues’ roles in the national budget process.
The allegations came from Orly Guteza, a surprise witness presented by Senator Rodante Marcoleta at the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on Sept. 25.
Guteza, a security consultant for former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, claimed that he personally delivered luggage filled with money to the residences of Co and Romualdez