Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Marilyn Cahatol

Kaxandra Salonga

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/1779776618006HJODyeka4AAxK6w (5).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><em>ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday said the agency was preparing two cases against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, including the “grandest” case of conspiracy to defraud the national treasury. </p><p>&quot;Nandyan na yan. Meron kaming dalawa pang kaso na hinahanda tungkol diyan. Meron kaming isa pang money laundering case at of course, the grandest case of them all, ang pinakamabigat na kaso diyan, yung conspiracy to defraud the treasury,&quot; Remulla said. </p><p>&quot;Hindi madaling ilatag iyan. We&#x27;re being very careful about every premise that we make kasi first time ito gagawin sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas na magkakaroon tayo ng ganitong klaseng kaso,&quot; he added. </p><p>Remulla said the agency cannot provide a timetable for the cases.</p><p>Romualdez is among the lawmakers alleged to have masterminded the budget insertions tied to multibillion-peso worth flood control scandal. </p><p>The former Speaker denied the allegations and said he would “not allow [himself] to be turned into the scapegoat.&quot;</p><p>Remulla said that gathering evidence on the budget insertions had been challenging due to the alleged refusal of the Committee Secretariat of the House Committee on Appropriations to cooperate with the Ombudsman.</p><p>“We are trying to get to the bottom of the (budget) insertions, but that&#x27;s been a little difficult… they are not obeying our subpoena as we have sent it to them. They even refuse to accept the subpoena. Of course, we can always issue preventive suspensions if we have to,” he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/26/-hinog-na-ombudsman-says-case-vs-joel-villaneuva-almost-ready-1356">Ombudsman says flood control case vs Joel Villaneuva almost ready </a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/26/ombudsman-to-file-plunder-raps-vs-jinggoy-estrada-hopefully-thursday-1351">Jinggoy Estrada plunder case up for filing &#x27;hopefully Thursday&#x27; – Ombudsman </a><strong></strong><em><strong></strong></em><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tQIFtMmNZ1M?si=50UvVFRdDdUkD8fB" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>MARCOLETA’S PLUNDER CASE</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Remulla also reacted to Sen. Rodante Marcoleta’s earlier privilege speech claiming the Ombudsman is targeting the Senate majority, following the Luzon Field Investigation Bureau’s recommendation to file plunder and indirect bribery charges against him over his alleged failure to disclose P75 million in campaign donations in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/25/marcoleta-says-trumped-up-plunder-raps-meant-to-punish-dissent-1539">Marcoleta says &#x27;trumped-up&#x27; plunder raps meant to &#x27;punish dissent&#x27; </a></div><p>“I do not want to get into the political mix of it kasi ito napakalinaw ng kaso niya… lahat ng ebidensya nito galing sa kanya [Marcoleta] sa sinasabi niya sa Comelec sa mga kanyang pag-amin. Di naman ito imbento,” Remulla said.</p><p>He added that the senator brought this upon himself after disclosing his campaign donations on a television program.</p><p>The Ombudsman recently asked the anti-graft court to issue a precautionary hold departure order against Marcoleta, and his alleged campaign donors, including former Quezon City Rep. Michael Defensor.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/26/sandiganbayan-phdo-application-vs-marcoleta-defensor-submitted-for-resolution-1330">Sandiganbayan: PHDO application vs Marcoleta, Defensor submitted for resolution </a> </div><div><br/></div><div><strong>APLASCA’S PREVENTIVE SUSPENSION</strong></div><div><strong> </strong></div><p>Meanwhile, Remulla said he was “alarmed” that Acting Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca appeared to still be in office despite a preventive suspension order issued against him in connection with the Senate shooting incident on May 13.</p><p>He said he expects a response from Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano on the matter.</p><p>“Na-alarm ako nung nakita ko si Aplasca na still talking to media and still holding office somewhere there. So I wrote to Senator Cayetano about enforcing the preventive suspension issued by this office, and we have not yet received a reply from the Senate President,” he said.</p><p>He added that the office is reviewing senators’ public pronouncements on the Senate shooting as part of its ongoing probe into the incident.</p><p>Remulla earlier said gunfire inside a government office is unacceptable and must not be tolerated. He said subpoenas would be issued to everyone present before and during the incident, including senators and officials from the DILG, NBI, and PNP.</p><p>The Ombudsman has also begun inviting members of the media who covered the Senate shooting, following his earlier request for them to submit affidavits.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/21/cidg-who-fed-aplasca-wrong-information-before-senate-shooting-1022">CIDG: Who fed Aplasca wrong information before Senate shooting? </a></div>

<p>"Nandyan na yan. Meron kaming dalawa pang kaso na hinahanda tungkol diyan. Meron kaming isa pang money laundering case at of course, the grandest case of them all, ang pinakamabigat na kaso diyan, yung conspiracy to defraud the treasury," Remulla said.</p>

"Nandyan na yan. Meron kaming dalawa pang kaso na hinahanda tungkol diyan. Meron kaming isa pang money laundering case at of course, the grandest case of them all, ang pinakamabigat na kaso diyan, yung conspiracy to defraud the treasury," Remulla said.

Ombudsman says preparing case vs Romualdez over 'grandest' conspiracy to defraud gov't

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Ombudsman says preparing case vs Romualdez over 'grandest' conspiracy to defraud gov't

Marilyn Cahatol,

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 26, 2026 02:25 PM PHT

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Updated May 26, 2026 04:02 PM PHT

Read More:

Ombudsman

Martin Romualdez

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