Sandiganbayan bars Escudero, Ngu from leaving PH amid flood control probe

The Sandiganbayan Sixth Division has issued a Precautionary Hold Departure Order (PHDO) on former Senate President and incumbent Senator Francis Escudero, as well as businessman Maynard Ngu, who are being investigated for alleged plunder, graft, and indirect bribery in connection with the flood control mess. 

The tribunal issued the order on Monday and directed the Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration to hold the departure from the Philippines of respondents Escudero and Ngu, and to include their names in the Hold Departure List.

The Sandiganbayan Sixth Division is chaired by Associate Justice Sarah Fernandez. 

The PHDO was issued three weeks after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla announced that Ombudsman prosecutors are readying a plunder case against Escudero and former Speaker Martin Romualdez over the flood control mess. 

“We have been seriously preparing a case [for] plunder against former Speaker Martin Romualdez and former Senate President 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. 

Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary and state witness Roberto Bernardo earlier said he funneled 20%—or about P160 million—of roughly P800 million worth of inserted projects for Valenzuela City under the General Appropriations Act or the national budget through Ngu.

The P160 million, Bernardo said, was “meant for Senator Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero.”

Escudero earlier denied the allegations, calling Bernardo's statements as "malicious allegations and innuendos."

"By his own admission, he never had any contact with me directly regarding this matter—and I will prove that he is lying about my alleged involvement," Escudero had said. 

READ: Who is Maynard Ngu, the special envoy linked to the flood control scandal?

Bernardo described Ngu as a “close friend” and said he personally delivered cash to the latter’s office in Manila. 

In his affidavit, Bernardo also said Ngu was a campaign contributor and close associate of Escudero.

GMA News Online is getting comments from Escudero and Ngu ang would publish them as soon as they are available.

Both have denied their involvement in the flood control projects scam.

Escudero in September 2025 said that he would sue Bernardo for what he described as "malicious allegations and innuendos" made against him. 

"By his own admission, he never had any contact with me directly regarding this matter—and I will prove that he is lying about my alleged involvement," Escudero said. 

Escudero also raised concerns about the "well-orchestrated plan" supposedly to attack the Senate and its members "to destroy and discredit the institution and to divert the public's attention from the real perpetrators."

In a Senate hearing earlier this year, Ngu also denied the allegation that he was involved in flood control kickbacks, as claimed by Bernardo. 

“I absolutely denied all the allegations made by Usec. Bernardo. That’s the reason why I already filed the case against usec on defamatory insinuations. For this, I invoke the sub judice rule because it’s pending already with appropriate courts,” Ngu said. —LDF/NB, GMA News