Romualdez asks ICI to postpone Oct. 22 hearing due to medical procedure

The scheduled Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) hearing with former Speaker Martin Romualdez next week will no longer push through.

In an advisory on Saturday, the ICI said Romualdez “has requested to postpone the hearing originally set for October 22, 2025, as he is scheduled to undergo a medical procedure.”

“The Commission will issue an advisory once a date for the next hearing has been determined,” the investigating body said.

On Friday, ICI Executive Director Brian Keith Hosaka announced that the former speaker is scheduled for another hearing on Wednesday next week, which would have been the second time the legislator will appear before the commission.

Romualdez visited the ICI office in Taguig last week upon the commission's invitation to attend its closed-door hearings.

According to Hosaka, the former lower chamber chief did not tag any personalities in the alleged corruption scheme in his affidavit but had named some lawmakers who were supposedly involved in the crafting of the national budget. Romualdez had also denied receiving kickbacks from the flood control projects.

The ICI said it will summon the named individuals, but Hosaka said it may still be up for discussion by the commission.

In facing the commission, Romualdez, one of the lawmakers the ICI issued a subpoena to for the hearings, maintained that he "has nothing to hide." 

The lawmaker also expressed willingness to release his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) and said he is ready to attend the ICI hearings if he is invited again.

Romualdez earlier denied involvement in securing commissions from flood control projects as alleged by contractor husband and wife Curlee and Sarah Discaya during the Senate inquiry on the flood control mess.

He also denied similar allegations made by Orly Regala Guteza who identified himself as a former security consultant for resigned Ako Bicol party-list Representatives Zaldy Co. —KG, GMA Integrated News