Philippine police arrested lawmaker and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s cousin Martin Romualdez in his hospital bed on Monday, 7th September, over his alleged involvement in a major corruption scandal involving bogus flood control projects.
The arrest came hours after prosecutors filed a “plunder” case against Romualdez, alleging that he amassed 7.4 billion pesos (US$117.9 million) through bribes, anomalous budget insertions, and project allocations.
The Office of the Ombudsman accused Romualdez of accumulating the funds through commissions, commitment fees, bribes, and other illicit payments linked to flood control projects awarded between 2022 and 2025.
The Sandiganbayan anti-graft court issued the arrest warrant after finding probable cause.
“I’m here with (Police) General Nartatez to serve the warrant of arrest to former speaker Romualdez,” Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla told reporters outside Cardinal Santos Medical Center.
Romualdez had been taken to the private hospital that afternoon after suffering from “unstable blood pressure” and an “anxiety attack”, Remulla said. “After we read him his rights, he is now considered a person deprived of liberty,” he added.
Plunder is a non-bailable offence involving large-scale corruption and is punishable by life imprisonment. Romualdez therefore faces potentially lengthy detention while the case proceeds through the courts.
Armed police secured the hospital, with guards posted outside his room. Remulla said the lawmaker would be transferred to jail once doctors cleared him.
Romualdez’s co-respondents include absconded former lawmaker Elizaldy Co, Joselyn Sereño, identified as a household staff member or personal assistant to Romualdez, and Felecito Guevarra, a money changer. They are all accused of conspiring to unlawfully accumulate wealth through government funds.
In a statement to reporters earlier in the day, Romualdez’s lawyer said his client would address the allegations through the courts. “We respect the courts and the legal process,” lawyer Ade Fajardo said. “(Romualdez) asks only for the same due process and fair hearing guaranteed to every Filipino. Truth, evidence, and a fair process must prevail.”
Romualdez, who represents Leyte province, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, brother of the interior ministry chief, said prosecutors intended to file additional cases against Romualdez and others implicated in the flood control scandal, including further charges of graft and money laundering linked to the same scheme. “We don’t pick and choose. There is no name here that we’re trying to avoid. Everything here is based on evidence,” he told reporters. “This case proves that there are no sacred cows.”
Romualdez served as House speaker from 2022 until his resignation in September last year, after his name surfaced in the widening investigation. He had been a key political ally of the president. At the time, he said stepping down would allow investigators to carry out their work without “undue influence”. He remains a member of Congress.
President Marcos Jr put the so-called ghost infrastructure projects, believed to have cost Filipino taxpayers billions of dollars, at the centre of his public address in July last year. He has repeatedly stressed that no one is exempt from accountability, stating that he is not the president of his family or friends.
The scandal centres on substandard, overpriced, or non-existent flood control projects intended to protect communities from typhoons under a multibillion-dollar programme. Investigators have pointed to the diversion of public funds intended for infrastructure.
Nearly 10,000 flood control projects undertaken since Marcos took office have come under scrutiny. Over the past year, prosecutors have filed cases against a number of sitting and former lawmakers, public works officials, and representatives of construction companies allegedly linked to the scheme. Former public works secretary Manuel Bonoan is expected to serve as a witness.
The arrest marks a significant development in the probe into the flood control anomaly that has dominated Philippine politics for more than a year. Corruption has long been a problem in the Philippines and is widely seen as a factor contributing to the archipelago nation’s persistent poverty. The high-profile action underscores ongoing efforts to address systemic graft that has hampered development in the country of more than 110 million people.
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