Metro Manila, Philippines – The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has refuted the claim of a lawmaker saying presidential cousin and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez is not liable in the multibillion-peso flood control scandal.
In a statement on Monday, March 23, the investigating body said it did not make a determination of innocence or guilt on Romualdez, as it urged the Office of the Ombudsman to conduct further investigation.
This stemmed from the statement of Tingog Rep. Jude Acidre that there was no finding of guilt or liability against Romualdez, in response to the remarks of Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco about the supposed project allocations promised to lawmakers to back Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment.
Acidre represents the party-list groupTingog, with Romualdez’s wife and son – Yedda and Andrew Julian.
“Rep. Acidre selectively quoted the referral and presented this excerpt without its full context. The ICI transmitted to the Office of the Ombudsman the referral for further investigation of former speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, together with the complete evidentiary record gathered in the course of its investigation,” the ICI said.
The commission said it was clear in its referral that the ombudsman is better equipped to determine whether or not their probe warrants criminal or administrative liability on the Leyte lawmaker.
“These statements in the referral clearly show that the ICI did not make a determination of innocence or guilt on the part of former speaker Romualdez,” the ICI said.
NewsWatch Plus has reached out to Romualdez for comment.
In November, the ICI and the Department of Public Works and Highways recommended an investigation for plunder, graft, and bribery charges against Romualdez and fugitive lawmaker Zaldy Co – who were tagged as alleged principal beneficiaries of kickbacks from flood control deals.
The referral included boxes of documents on contracts of companies tied to Co and sworn testimonies in the Senate blue ribbon committee against Romualdez and the former lawmaker.
Meanwhile, in a press statement on Tuesday, Acidre maintained that the ICI only affirmed there was no finding of liability against the former speaker.
