Jamaine Punzalan

Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and former Senate President Chiz Escudero. Yummie Dingding, PPA Pool

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MARCOS-EDUCATION

Job Manahan

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177545873276120240603-marcos-kabalikat-pagtuturo-PPA-18.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and former Senate President Chiz Escudero. Yummie Dingding, PPA Pool</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA  (<strong>UPDATED</strong>) —  Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said Monday his office was &quot;seriously preparing&quot; plunder raps against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and former Senate President Chiz Escudero in relation to national budget issues tied to the flood control scandal. </p><p>Remulla said the complaint included an element of conspiracy and could be filed “within the month of May.” </p><p>“We have been seriously preparing a case of plunder against former Speaker Martin Romualdez and former Senate President Chiz Escudero. Plunder ang hinahanda naming kaso laban sa kanila,” Remulla said.</p><p>“We are just tying up many things that have to be there for us to make a case out of it. The former Senate president and the former speaker will be subjected to a case of plunder very soon,” he said in a press briefing.</p><p>Remulla said the plunder raps were related to the flood control scandal “in so many ways” and many other individuals from both chambers of Congress would be involved in this. </p><p>The case, he said, would revolve in the crafting of the national budget, particularly how it was “passed upon the two houses [of Congress] and how many things happened, have been implemented because of that.&quot;</p><p>He said the case buildup could go back from the time of former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco. Velasco was Speaker from 2020 to 2022.</p><p>“Noong panahon ni Speaker Velasco, malamang, babalik pa kami doon sa pag-aaral sa mga kasong dapat pagulungin laban sa mga taong gumawa ng ganitong gawain na plunder – paglilimas ng ating kaban ng bayan,” he said.</p><p>He added that the case buildup looked into the testimonies of the witnesses from the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s flood control hearings last year.</p><p>“If you think about it, there was a conspiracy to commit plunder. I think we can put everything together. Kayo mismo can put everything together. It doesn’t take a genius to do it,” he said.</p><p>“Madaming madadamay,” he added, noting that some officials from government agencies could be part of the complaint.</p><p>No other details were immediately available.</p><p>Both Romualdez and Escudero previously denied allegations of orchestrating<a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/17/puno-blames-zaldy-co-chiz-escudero-for-2025-budget-controversy-1602"> questionable budget insertions.</a></p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/17/puno-blames-zaldy-co-chiz-escudero-for-2025-budget-controversy-1602https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/7/romualdez-files-bill-to-reform-national-budgeting-system-1012">Romualdez files bill to reform national budgeting system</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>ROMUALDEZ VOWS TO COOPERATE</strong></div><p>Romualdez will &quot;fully cooperate&quot; if formal proceedings for plunder are initiated, according to the spokesperson of the former house speaker.</p><p>Atty. Ade Fajardo also said that they trust Remulla will adhere to a circular he signed when he was the Justice secretary saying DOJ prosecutors should pursue cases with “reasonable certainty of conviction.”</p><p>Fajardo further stressed that there is no evidence linking Romualdez to “ghost” projects in relation to the flood control issue.</p><p>&quot;To be clear, this refers only to a reported preparation of a complaint—there is no filed case, no finding of probable cause, and no determination of liability at this time,&quot; he said in a statement. &quot;We respect the processes of the Office of the Ombudsman and will fully cooperate if and when a formal proceeding is initiated.&quot;</p><p>Fajardo said they are confident the matter will be resolved based on evidence and not politics nor speculation.</p><div><br/></div><div><br style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"/></div>

<p>Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said Monday his office was preparing plunder raps against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and former Senate President Chiz Escudero in relation to the "budgetary process" in 2024 and 2025.</p>

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said Monday his office was preparing plunder raps against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and former Senate President Chiz Escudero in relation to the "budgetary process" in 2024 and 2025.

Ombudsman preparing plunder raps vs Romualdez, Escudero over national budget issues

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Ombudsman preparing plunder raps vs Romualdez, Escudero over national budget issues

Job Manahan,

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 06, 2026 02:47 PM PHT

|

Updated April 06, 2026 07:11 PM PHT

Read More:

Ombudsman

Martin Romualdez

Chiz Escudero

flood control

Jesus Crispin Remulla

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