MANILA, Philippines — Former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has no plans to leave the country to evade the legal process and will answer the complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman once he is formally served, his spokesperson said Monday.
In a statement, the lawmaker’s mouthpiece, Atty. Elaine Atienza, said Romualdez remains in the Philippines and will face the all proceedings once he receives the summons for the preliminary investigation for the charges of plunder and money laundering complaints he is facing.
“We deny in the strongest possible way any insinuation that Rep. Romualdez has attempted to evade the legal process," she said while also insisting that the former Speaker "has never gone into hiding."
Atienza’s remarks came after the Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano, in an earlier briefing, claimed that Romualdez “has not ceased attempting to leave the country” despite the Precautionary Hold Departure Order issued against him.
She likewise stated that the Ombudsman's action only marks the start of a preliminary investigation and does not amount to a finding of liability. She noted that no criminal case has been filed before the Sandiganbayan and that Romualdez has yet to be given the opportunity to respond to the allegations.
“The announcement pertains only to the commencement of a preliminary investigation, where respondents are afforded the opportunity to present their side, and where the constitutional presumption of innocence remains fully in force,” Atienza said.
She added that Romualdez remains confident he will clear his name once the facts are objectively examined and the evidence is evaluated under the law.
