MANILA, Philippines — The camp of former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Tuesday questioned the Ombudsman’s characterization of him as a “mastermind” amid the ongoing preliminary investigation into the alleged flood-control anomalies.
Romualdez’s lawyer and spokesman, Ade Fajardo, said the label could give the impression that the Office of the Ombudsman had reached a conclusion before fully evaluating the evidence and Romualdez’s defense.
Fajardo said Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla had publicly referred to Romualdez as the “mastermind” as early as April, prompting the former Speaker’s lawyers to seek Remulla’s inhibition from the case in an April 22, 2026 letter.
The defense cited Remulla’s public statements as creating an appearance of prejudgment, particularly as witness accounts were changing and additional evidence had yet to be furnished to Romualdez.
“At this stage of the investigation, what our rules and laws require, as well as the Constitution itself, is fairness and impartiality,” Fajardo said.
He urged the Ombudsman to resolve the complaints based on evidence properly disclosed and weighed in the proceedings, rather than public labels made while the investigation remains pending.
