Sandigan suspends Martin for 90 days

MANILA, Philippines — As his trial for plunder continues, former House speaker Martin Romualdez has been ordered suspended for 90 days by the Sandiganbayan Third Division.

“The court issued a resolution ordering the suspension pendente lite of former speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez for a period of 90 days from the receipt of resolution,” Third Division clerk of court Dennis Pulma said yesterday.

Romualdez was ordered to “cease and desist” from the functions of his office or any other office.

The P7.4-billion plunder case against the suspended Leyte representative stemmed from his having allegedly received kickback from flood control projects.

The Sandiganbayan also directed the Romualdez camp to furnish a copy of the resolution to the speaker of the House of Representatives through the Office of the Secretary General. Both offices are requested to inform the court of any action taken within five days from the receipt of the resolution.

Prosecutors from the Office of the Ombudsman have accused Romualdez of being the central figure in an alleged scheme involving the diversion of public funds meant for flood control projects.

The other accused in the plunder case are fugitive former Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co, former Romualdez personal assistant Joselyn Serenio and businessman Felicito Guevarra.

During the bail hearing on Romualdez’s plunder case, Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco testified that he saw red flags on the insertions made by his colleagues in House of Representatives in the 2025 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways based on files forwarded to him by the late DPWH undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral.

He said he found P26 billion worth of projects that listed Romualdez as the proponent even if most of them were not in the former House leader’s legislative district.

Among the districts that reportedly received projects from Romualdez were Davao City and Davao del Norte, although he acknowledged that his conclusions were based partly on his own interpretation and on information obtained from other individuals.

Under questioning, Tiangco conceded that he had no personal knowledge of any cash delivery or whether such deliveries had indeed happened.

He admitted that some of the “red flags” he found were merely his own interpretation of the files from Cabral, wherein some of the projects’ locations and sums were “doubtful.”

He also pointed out that being listed as a proponent does not automatically mean that the same person receives money through commissions.

Tiangco, who served as one of the vice chairs of the appropriations committee under Co, also admitted that he participated in the budget process, including defending the proposed appropriations of agencies assigned to him, such as the Office of the President and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development.

He also acknowledged voting in favor of the proposed 2025 national budget during plenary deliberations.

Tiangco likewise confirmed that Romualdez did not participate in the appropriations committee hearings or during plenary deliberations on the budget, and was not a member of the House small committee or the bicameral conference committee.

While alleging that Co implemented Romualdez’s instructions during the bicameral deliberations, Tiangco acknowledged that he was not a member of the bicameral panel and had no personal knowledge of its proceedings during the 19th Congress.

Tiangco also testified that President Marcos reprimanded Romualdez in 2024 for allegedly taking funds meant for government projects.