The situation, in brief
The Office of the Ombudsman is preparing what it describes as the “grandest case of all” against former Speaker Martin Romualdez—an unprecedented conspiracy to defraud the treasury through the national budget, which Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla said would be the first case of its kind…
The Office of the Ombudsman is preparing what it describes as the “grandest case of all” against former Speaker Martin Romualdez—an unprecedented conspiracy to defraud the treasury through the national budget, which Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla said would be the first case of its kind in Philippine legal history.
“Meron kaming isa pang money laundering case na mabigat, at of course, the grandest case of them all, itong pinakamabigat na kaso diyan, the conspiracy to defraud the treasury. ‘Yun talaga ‘yan sa pamamagitan ng budget. Hindi madali ilatag ‘yan. Kasi first time ‘to gagawin sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas na magkakaroon tayo ng ganitong klaseng kaso,” Remulla said during a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
Remulla said the case is being built day by day, with evidence continuing to come in—but declined to set any timetable for filing, saying the complexity of the case and the unprecedented nature of the charges demand deliberate and careful preparation.
“Wala, wala kaming timetable diyan. Basta ‘yung big case kasi, hindi mo pwedeng lagyan ng timetable ‘yan. Kinakalap namin ang ebidensya niyan, binubuo namin sa araw-araw. Kaya we’re here everyday. We just go to work everyday and marami naman, it’s bearing fruit,” he said.
The Ombudsman said the conspiracy case centers on budget insertions that found their way into the final version of the national budget without going through plenary deliberation—amendments that were never debated on the floor but mysteriously appeared in the approved budget.
Remulla said this is where the phrase “conspiracy to defraud” comes in, not a simple amendment but what the Ombudsman described as a conspiracy carried out through the budget process without public accountability. He said Romualdez has multiple co-accused in the cases being prepared but declined to name them at this stage.
“Marami, marami siyang co-accused. ‘Wag muna natin pag-usapan. Basta marami siyang co-accused dito,” he said, adding that the Ombudsman will reveal the full list of accused when the information is filed with the Sandiganbayan.
The Ombudsman revealed that the House of Representatives is actively obstructing the investigation by refusing to surrender records from the Small Committee and the Committee on Appropriations, and by refusing to even accept the Ombudsman’s subpoenas.
“‘Yung hard stance ng House sa Romualdez cases ‘yan. Kasi pina-subpoena namin ‘yung records sa Small Committee at ng Committee on Appropriations at ayaw nila ibigay,” Remulla said, warning that the Ombudsman will not back down regardless of who is involved. “Kahit sino pa, wala kaming atrasan,” he said.
Remulla said the historical pattern of Ombudsman cases dragging on for 15 years before the Sandiganbayan has been one of the biggest obstacles to accountability in the Philippines—and that the Ombudsman is determined to break that pattern by ensuring all evidence is ready before filing, then pushing for continuous trial.
“Nung araw kasi, pwedeng mag-file ng kaso, presscon, tapos na. Tapos malalaman mo, labing-limang taon na wala pang nangyayari. Hindi po ganun ang ating sistema rito,” he said, adding that if the court is reasonable, a judgment should be reached within two years of filing.
The Ombudsman said the conspiracy to defraud the treasury case is separate from but related to the money laundering case also being prepared against Romualdez—making the former Speaker the target of two distinct and serious cases simultaneously.
He said both cases are progressing, with the money laundering case described as heavy on its own even before the unprecedented conspiracy charge is factored in.
Remulla closed by reiterating that the Ombudsman’s goal is not to drag cases out but to deliver swift, decisive, and well-prepared prosecutions that result in actual judgments — saying the Filipino public deserves nothing less.
“Kung pwede nga, kung talagang ang korte ay magiging reasonable, dapat diyan hindi aabot ng dalawang taon ‘yan, may judgment na ‘yan. Kung kami hindi abutin ng isang taon, dapat ang depensa hindi rin abutin ng isang taon,” Remulla said.
