By Brian Campued
Nearly four months since the multibillion-peso flood control corruption has been exposed, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday stressed that no one is “immune” or “exempted” in the pursuit for transparency and accountability.
This as the President was asked during a press conference in Malacañang if former House Speaker Martin Romualdez would be included in the case referrals made by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).
“I don’t think so because the only evidence that has been made against him is in the Senate. So, I don’t know… With the Speaker, no. Not as yet. Not as yet. If something else comes out, then he might have to be answerable for something,” Marcos said.
“We don’t file cases for optics. We file cases to put people in jail or to make people answer.”
Romualdez has been tagged in previous legislative inquiries on the flood control anomalies—accusations he has since denied.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla previously said that Romualdez may be liable for gross negligence, as he appointed former lawmaker Zaldy Co as House Committee on Appropriations chairperson—the panel which leads the crafting of the national budget.
Meanwhile, Marcos vowed to immediately cancel the passport of Co once formal criminal cases are filed against him in connection with the alleged anomalies in flood control projects.
“Hindi pa nasampahan ng kaso, therefore the request for the cancellation of his passport cannot yet be made. However, when that time comes, we will immediately cancel his passport,” he said.
“You have to give grounds for the cancellation of the passport. And those grounds will be based on the cases that will be filed against him.”
Co went abroad for medical reasons but has yet to return to the Philippines amid the ongoing probe into budget insertions and anomalous flood control projects.
Under Republic Act 11983, or the New Philippine Passport Act, the Department of Foreign Affairs may only cancel or revoke a passport upon orders of the court when the holder has been convicted of a criminal offense, is a fugitive from justice, or is a suspected terrorist charged with any violation of The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020; and if it was acquired fraudulently, tampered with, or issued erroneously.
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