Remulla: Romualdez can’t leave; asset freeze sought
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday said his office “did not respond favorably” to Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez’s request to leave the country for a medical checkup in Singapore, as he disclosed that initial steps had been taken for the issuance of a freeze order on the former Speaker’s assets.
Later in the day, the Office of the Ombudsman asked the Sandiganbayan to issue a precautionary hold departure order (PHDO) against Romualdez, who stepped down as Speaker of the House of Representatives in September last year after being dragged into the public works corruption scandal and the budget insertion controversy along with other lawmakers. (See related story on this page.)
In a press conference, Remulla said he was not in favor of Romualdez’s request to fly to Singapore while noting that his office had endorsed a complaint to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
“We’re waiting for the AMLC to file a freeze order on Martin Romualdez,” he said. The order could come out “very soon” and is expected to be filed by the AMLC, through the Office of Solicitor General, at the Court of Appeals (CA) on Wednesday.
According to the Supreme Court’s Office of the Court Administrator Circular No. 194-2018, a PHDO is a court order for the Bureau of Immigration to prevent any attempt by a person suspected of a crime to leave the country.
“While the cases are pending before the Office of the Ombudsman, the [investigating] teams find it necessary to seek this remedy so as not to jeopardize the cases,” Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said in a statement also on Tuesday.
“They do not want the respondent to abscond and evade office processes,” Clavano added.
The request was addressed to the antigraft court’s Seventh Division.
“Actually, they were burning the lines yesterday (Monday) and up to this morning (Tuesday),” Remulla said. “I held my ground and I said, when you join government you already surrender your right to travel, especially to another jurisdiction, especially if you’re under investigation.”
But for Ade Fajardo, Romualdez’s lawyer, “any statement suggesting that a freeze order is imminent remains speculative.”
He said the AMLC had to submit a formal application to the CA before there would even be an order to freeze Romualdez’ assets.
Good faith
Fajardo also said Romualdez sought a travel authority “in all good faith—and this authority has been granted.”
“This underscores his full compliance with the law and negates any insinuation of flight risk,” he said.
Romualdez said Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III had allowed him to leave the country for a “long overdue follow-up checkup” on his angioplasty surgery. His office provided House reporters a copy of his letter-request addressed to Dy seeking permission to travel from April 20 to May 4.
“I have also written the Department of Justice of my intention to travel, in view of an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (Ilbo) issued last Oct. 8, 2025,” Romualdez said in his letter to Dy dated April 20.
“I give my unequivocal assurance that I will return to the Philippines immediately upon completion of my medical engagement and remain accessible for any urgent legislative matters during this period,” he added.
Similarly, Romualdez’s office showed copies of the travel clearance issued by House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil, through the authority of Dy.
“This clearance is issued predicated upon the Honorable Representative’s commitment to return to the Philippines forthwith following his medical procedure. It is understood that the Representative shall maintain accessibility for any urgent official functions or legal proceedings during his absence,” Garafil said.
While he was secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ) last year, Remulla signed the Ilbo requested by the now-defunct Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) against Romualdez and other officials. An Ilbo only requires prior coordination with authorities before someone leaves the country.
“We did not allow him to leave; we opposed the lifting of the bulletin against him. There’s a lookout order because we’ve been investigating actively, baka di na bumalik (he might not come back). We don’t want that to happen,” Remulla said.
He noted how Romualdez’s request to leave for Singapore came in the heels of former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co’s arrest in the Czech Republic.
“The problem there is that it seems too coincidental that Zaldy Co was arrested in Europe and then he will leave suddenly. We may be left empty-handed in this country,” Remulla said.
Immigration lookout
In October 2025, the ICI asked the DOJ to issue an Ilbo against Romualdez; Senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, and Joel Villanueva; former Senators Bong Revilla and Nancy Binay; and several others.
The request was signed by then ICI Chair Andres Reyes Jr.
The ICI then also asked that the Bureau of Immigration immediately inform the commission and other law enforcement agencies about any “impending travel of the subjects.”
Remulla signed the request for Ilbo on his last day as justice secretary, before taking his oath as the next Ombudsman.
Earlier this month, the Office of the Ombudsman said it was preparing plunder charges that may be filed in May against Romualdez and Escudero in connection with the flood control scandal. —WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH
