MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has dropped the petition of former speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez seeking to stop the Office of the Ombudsman from investigating his alleged involvement in the multibillion-peso flood control scam, ruling that the petition has become moot after a ₱7.4-billion plunder case was filed against him before the Sandiganbayan.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, the SC en banc said there was no longer a need to resolve Romualdez’s petition for certiorari because the Ombudsman already filed the criminal case, and the former House leader has been arraigned and pleaded not guilty.
The high court also denied his request for a temporary restraining order and/or writ of preliminary injunction to prevent the Ombudsman from continuing its preliminary investigation.
Romualdez had questioned the conduct of the investigation, including the Ombudsman's application for a preliminary hold departure order and freeze order against him, as well as the alleged use of inadmissible evidence.
The ₱7.4-billion plunder case stemmed from allegations that Romualdez and former Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co orchestrated a kickback scheme involving government-funded flood control and other infrastructure projects from 2022 to 2025.
The controversy erupted in 2025 after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered an investigation into alleged irregularities in flood control projects, following revelations of questionable government-funded infrastructure works, including allegedly substandard and non-existent projects.
The scandal triggered congressional investigations and a government-wide examination of public works contracts, with contractors, government officials and lawmakers facing scrutiny.
