Ombudsman eyes plunder charges vs. Martin Romualdez, Chiz Escudero

The Office of the Ombudsman is preparing to file a plunder case against former Speaker Martin Romualdez and former Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero. 

“We have been zealously preparing a case of plunder case against former Speaker Martin Romualdez and former SP Chiz Escudero. There’s conspiracy involved,” Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said at a press conference Monday.

“This [case] is flood control related in so many ways,” he added. 

Asked when this plunder case would be filed, Remulla replied, “within the month of May.”  

GMA News Online contacted the office of Escudero, but it has yet to issue a statement as of posting time.

In a statement, the lawyer of Romualdez, Ade Fajardo, said, "We want to emphasize that, to date, there is no evidence linking Rep. Romualdez to any ghost and substandard projects pertaining to the flood control issue." 

"We remain confident that these matters will be resolved based on evidence and due process—not politics or speculation," he added. 

Romualdez and Escudero previously denied involvement in anomalous flood control projects.

Ombudsman prosecutors have only filed three batches of flood control cases so far since the flood control probe was launched in September 2025. 

These are the following:  

• malversation and graft charges against resigned Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Zaldy Co and at least 15 others over the P289 million alleged substandard road dike project in Oriental Mindoro;
• malversation and graft charges against contractor Sarah Discaya and several others over the P96.5 million alleged ghost flood control project in Davao Occidental; and 
• malversation and graft charges against former Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr., ex-Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez and five others over the alleged P92.8-million ghost flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan. 

—with a report from Giselle Ombay/KG, GMA News