Plunder raps filed vs Surigao solon over P1.4-B projects
SAN FRANCISCO, AGUSAN DEL SUR—A group of Catholic priests from the Diocese of Tandag and private individuals have filed plunder and graft complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman against Surigao del Sur 1st District Rep. Romeo Momo Sr. for allegedly using his office so that a construction firm owned by his family would corner more than P1.4 billion in government public works contracts.
Among the complainants were Reverends Florio Falcon, Arturo Langit, Jose Zafra III, Elvies Petros, Ritchell Espinola and Godofredo Quiazon Jr.; and lawyers Alexander Malaque and Mary Helen Zafra.
In the complaint filed on Friday in Manila, Momo was accused of continuing involvement in the operation of the Surigao La Suerte Corporation (SLSC), which repeatedly won public works contracts in the Caraga region, despite insisting having divested from the company, as members of his immediate family are still shareholders, creating a conflict of interest in the award of infrastructure projects.
The complaint said corporate records from the Securities and Exchange Commission showed that as of 2019, Momo and his relatives still held shares in SLSC. They alleged the lawmaker only divested after 2019 and that his wife, children and even a grandson continued to appear as stockholders despite the company’s sustained participation in government projects.
Standing up
The complainants said they were acting in the interest of transparency and good governance in Surigao del Sur.
One of them, lawyer Mary Helen Zafra, told reporters in Manila that they were questioning Momo’s continued role in budget deliberations while he faces serious accusations related to public spending.
Zafra said the group was particularly troubled by Momo’s inclusion in the powerful bicameral conference committee reconciling the Senate and House versions of the 2026 national budget.
“We have a lot of evidence here,” she said, holding up folders of what she described as documents supporting their plunder and graft complaints, including corporate records and procurement papers.
The complainants have asked the Ombudsman to investigate whether Momo violated antigraft and ethical standards by allegedly maintaining beneficial ties to SLSC while serving as a district representative and participating in deliberations over infrastructure allocations.
Momo insisted there is no impropriety in his actions.
“I would like to make it clear that there is no conflict of interest in my work as Surigao del Sur first district representative,” he said in a statement posted on his social media page. “Such imputation of using public office for personal gain is not true.”
He described the supposed conflict of interest as “nothing more than a desperate attempt” to link him to a corruption scandal. “This is clearly a political vendetta to tarnish my name and I will not let it pass unchallenged,” Momo added. INQ
Momo, who was representative of the Constriction Workers Solidarity partylist in 2019 before winning a regular district seat in Surigao del Sur, did not address in detail the specific documents being cited by the complainants but maintained that his conduct as a public official has complied with all legal requirements, including those on divestment and ethical standards.
Multiple contracts
Former Cantilan mayor Carla Lopez Pichay, a long-time political rival of Momo and the Pimentels in Surigao del Sur, meanwhile posted on social media what she said was a copy of SLSC’s 2019 general information sheet and cited this as proof that the divestment came only after the company had already obtained significant amounts in government contracts.
Pichay also presented at least one contract, worth around P18 million, which she described as merely a sample of a much larger volume of awards.
“This is just one example. You still have many other contracts. This one is only P18 million; the total runs to more than a billion,” she said, adding there are numerous additional projects that the public can verify for themselves.
She further pointed out that, “SLSC’s capitalization is now P200 million, just in time for Momo becoming district congressman,” implying that the firm’s financial expansion coincided with Momo’s rise to a position of influence over public-works funding.
