Supreme Court Dismisses Romualdez Petition in Flood Control Plunder Case

Supreme Court Dismisses Romualdez Petition in Flood Control Plunder Case

By Bing Jabadan – TheNATIONWEEK.com | November 6, 2026

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) has definitively dismissed a petition filed by former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, effectively shutting down his challenge to the preliminary investigation into his alleged involvement in a multi-billion-peso flood control scam.

The High Court’s ruling, issued on November 4, 2026, declared Romualdez’s petition moot, citing the ongoing plunder proceedings before the Sandiganbayan, where he has already been arraigned and pleaded not guilty.

The SC En Banc’s decision in G.R. No. E-07826, “Rep. Ferdinand Martin Gomez Romualdez v. Office of the Ombudsman,” rejected Romualdez’s arguments contesting the Ombudsman’s preliminary investigation, its application for a preliminary hold departure order, a freeze order, and the alleged use of inadmissible evidence.

Consequently, Romualdez’s request for a temporary restraining order or a writ of preliminary injunction to halt the Ombudsman’s probe was also denied. The Court affirmed that no exceptional circumstances warranted a resolution of the petition given its mootness, emphasizing that the formal filing of plunder charges rendered the prior legal challenges irrelevant.

Jail Denies Secret Removal as Sandiganbayan Intervenes

Adding another layer of controversy to Romualdez’s legal woes, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) vehemently denied allegations that the former Speaker was secretly removed from the Quezon City Jail-Male Dormitory.

BJMP spokesperson JSupt. Jayrex Bustinera stated on Wednesday, November 5, that a thorough verification, including a review of CCTV footage from November 4, 2026, confirmed Romualdez’s continuous presence within the facility.

Bustinera debunked claims of power interruptions or disabled CCTV systems, asserting that monitoring remained fully operational.

He further clarified that the jail possesses only one main entrance and no “backdoor exit,” directly refuting rumors of Romualdez being moved through a hidden staircase during a supposed power outage.

In response to these serious allegations of unauthorized movements and potential security system tampering, BJMP Chief JDIR Efren Nemeño launched an immediate investigation on November 3.

The BJMP reiterated its unwavering commitment to cooperate with any external probes, stressing that all persons deprived of liberty are subject to the same stringent custodial rules. The bureau assured the public that no special privileges are extended regardless of a detainee’s position or status, and any movement outside the jail requires a proper court order.

Following these unsettling claims, the Sandiganbayan Third Division, which presides over Romualdez’s plunder case, swiftly intervened. It ordered Jail Warden Superintendent Maria Lourdes Pacion and medical officer Henry Fabro of the Quezon City Jail – Male Dormitory to appear and testify on his detention at a hearing scheduled for Thursday, November 5, at 8:30 a.m.

Former Aide Alleges Romualdez Urged Co’s Candidacy Amid “Suitcase of Cash” Claims

In a separate but intimately connected development, a former close-in security aide of fugitive ex-congressman Zaldy Co provided crucial testimony in the Sandiganbayan, implicating Romualdez in political maneuvering amidst swirling allegations of illicit cash movements.

Police Chief Master Sergeant Larry Bellen, who served Co for eight years, testified during Romualdez’s bail hearing that he overheard Co and his wife discussing Romualdez’s alleged suggestion for Co’s nomination to the Ako Bicol Partylist. Co subsequently chaired the powerful House Committee on Appropriations from July 2022 to January 2025.

Bellen also recounted regularly helping transport numerous suitcases to Co’s unit at Horizon Homes in BGC, Taguig, even before Co became a congressman. While claiming no personal knowledge of their exact contents, he specifically recalled Co’s secretary instructing him that the contents of four particular suitcases in Co’s office were to be deposited. This testimony echoes earlier statements from another ex-bodyguard, George Villalon Jr., who previously identified an aide, John Paul Estrada, actively counting cash from similar suitcases.

Further corroborating the consistent movement of these suspicious containers, Police Major Alvin Alvaro Nuguid, another security aide, testified to the frequent transfer of suitcases from the basement to Co’s BGC unit, estimating a staggering 50 to 60 suitcases over a single year. Nuguid stated he heard fellow bodyguards jokingly refer to “money in the trash” in connection with these suitcases. He also testified to seeing Romualdez visit Co at the unit in 2025 for approximately two hours.

Nuguid further detailed accompanying Co to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in July 2025 for a flight to the United States, notably just ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address.

These unfolding testimonies paint a complex and troubling picture as Romualdez continues to face a plunder charge stemming from an alleged P7.4-billion kickback scheme involving government projects, highlighting a pervasive web of alleged corruption and intricate political maneuvering at the highest levels.

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