Jamaine Punzalan

Then House Speaker Martin Romualdez greets President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as he arrives for his fourth State of the Nation Address at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on July 28, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

Article (news)

SONA 2025

Daniza Fernandez

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/178520842808820250728-marcos-sona-congress-JC9.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Then House Speaker Martin Romualdez greets President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as he arrives for his fourth State of the Nation Address at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on July 28, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Office of the Ombudsman said Tuesday it would keep its investigations rolling “steadily” and “fairly,” as it expressed gratitude that it had been left free to do its mandate.</p><p>The anti-graft body made the remark a day after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivered his fifth State of the Nation Address.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/27/marcos-says-multiple-charges-vs-romualdez-to-be-filed-soon-1621">&#x27;Hindi ako pangulo ng aking pamilya&#x27;: Marcos says multiple charges vs Romualdez to be filed soon</a></div><p>The first issue that Marcos reported on was the government’s investigations on the corruption of flood control projects. Echoing the Ombudsman, the president said cases were looming against his cousin, former House speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez.</p><p>“We are likewise grateful that this Office has been left free to carry out its constitutional mandate and to follow the evidence wherever it leads, including to those closest to the President himself,” the Ombudsman said in a statement.</p><p>“This is how accountability is meant to function: no favor asked, none given. The Office of the Ombudsman will press forward steadily, fairly and without fear or favor, for as long as the evidence and the law will allow,” it added.</p><p>Romualdez, meanwhile, said he respects Marcos’ statement, insisting that he did not do anything unlawful.</p><p>The Ombudsman’s investigators recently filed a supplemental complaint against Romualdez and former congressman Zaldy Co for preliminary investigation for plunder, graft, and bribery due to their supposed roles in the flood control scam. The former Speaker also faces a money laundering complaint for preliminary probe.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/27/from-his-cousin-to-the-community-of-nations-highlights-from-marcos-jr-s-5th-sona-2244">From his cousin to the community of nations: Highlights from Marcos Jr.&#x27;s 5th SONA</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/27/complaint-vs-romualdez-not-rushed-for-sona-dizon-1253">Complaint vs Romualdez not rushed for SONA, Dizon says </a></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_-LTQpQxf80?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-tcPuh5WHGo?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"/></div>

<p>The Office of the Ombudsman said Tuesday it would keep its investigations rolling “steadily” and “fairly,” as it expressed gratitude that it had been left free to do its mandate.</p>

The Office of the Ombudsman said Tuesday it would keep its investigations rolling “steadily” and “fairly,” as it expressed gratitude that it had been left free to do its mandate.

Ombudsman to ‘press forward steadily, fairly’ on probes

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Ombudsman to ‘press forward steadily, fairly’ on probes

Daniza Fernandez,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 28, 2026 11:17 AM PHT

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Ombudsman

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