Ombudsman: Asset freeze vs Martin, HDO bid vs Chiz
After obtaining a freeze order on the assets of former Speaker Martin Romualdez and stopping him from leaving the country, the Office of the Ombudsman on Saturday sought to prevent the departure of former Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero who is under investigation for alleged plunder, graft and bribery.
The antigraft court, Sandiganbayan, set a raffle of the Ombudsman’s request among its seven divisions on Saturday, but there was no immediate word on whether the travel restriction on Escudero was granted.
This precautionary hold departure order (PHDO) is issued to prohibit an individual from traveling abroad while facing criminal complaints to ensure that they will be available for investigation.
Alleged ‘bagman’ covered
The request also covered businessman Maynard Ngu, the alleged “bagman” of the senator who also reportedly contributed P30 million to his campaign kitty for the 2022 national elections.
In a Senate blue ribbon panel hearing last September, former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo implicated Escudero and former Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Nancy Binay in the flood control corruption and kickback scandal.
Escudero denial
Bernardo said that Ngu, to whom he said he was close, once asked him to submit a list of projects for inclusion as insertions in the General Appropriations Act (GAA). He said they agreed to a 20-percent cut.
After the projects’ inclusion in the GAA, Bernardo said he delivered P160 million, or 20 percent of around P800 million, to Ngu, saying that the money was meant for Escudero.
Escudero strongly denied the allegations, saying that there was a “well-orchestrated plan to attack the Senate.”
The Office of the Ombudsman did not disclose whether it had also asked the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to freeze the assets of Escudero and Ngu. Such a request has to be approved by the Court of Appeals.
On Friday, the AMLC announced that the court granted on April 23 a freeze order on the assets of an unidentified lawmaker, an associate and a business entity, two days after the Ombudsman’s office filed a request for a PHDO on Romualdez.
25 bank accounts
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla confirmed during his Saturday radio program on dzRH that the “prominent incumbent legislator” whose assets had been frozen was Romualdez.
The freeze order covered 25 bank accounts and 10 insurance policies registered under Romualdez. Also included were another 27 bank accounts, 10 insurance policies, and one investment account under the name of an alleged business associate; and two bank accounts, seven property accounts, and one real estate property registered under the name of a corporate entity.
Remulla said that his office was preparing to file up to six cases related to the ongoing investigation by the AMLC of the flood control corruption scandal.
“All the cases involve the same action by the AMLC,” Remulla added.
Romualdez and his lawyers alleged that Remulla had already prejudged the Leyte representative without any proper and fair investigation and sought an independent probe instead.
Remulla said it was “absurd” for them to ask that the office of the government’s chief antigraft prosecutor halt its investigation of the former Speaker, saying that there was “no such thing as inhibition.”
“It goes down to the fairness of the judicial process,” Remulla said. “Prosecutors are supposed to side with victims of the crimes. … We are supposed to look into the abuses of power. How will we go after them and punish them if we inhibit?”
Fraternity brothers
Remulla, 65, and Romualdez, 62, are Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity brothers at the University of the Philippines and both are alumni of the UP College of Law.
Last Tuesday, Romualdez broke his silence on widespread allegations that he was involved in the budget insertions and in the flood control corruption and kickback scandal.
In a video statement, he denied any role in the changes made on the proposed 2025 budget when it was being deliberated by the congressional bicameral conference committee and the “small committee.”
Refusing to be the “fall guy,” he pinned the blame on two key figures in Congress who were supposedly “instrumental” in the amendments to the national budget: Escudero and former House appropriations chair Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co.
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