THE United States has canceled the diplomatic and tourist visas of former House of Representatives speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez confirmed Friday.
“All I can say is it's confirmed. I don't have any details,” the envoy said in a text message.
The ambassador and the lawmaker are cousins.
The US Embassy in Manila, meanwhile, declined to provide details when asked about the reason behind the cancellation.
“Due to visa record confidentiality, the US Department of State does not comment on individual visa cases or specific actions taken,” it told the Philippine News Agency.
The cancellation came after the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court denied the lawmaker’s motion to lift the precautionary hold departure order issued against him amid an ongoing investigation into his alleged involvement in the massive flood control scandal.
