Romualdez: Ombudsman building cases using ‘discredited’ witnesses
Former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez called out the Office of the Ombudsman over its continuing efforts to build up plunder and graft cases against him using witnesses that he said were earlier “discredited” by the agency and later by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The same witnesses are now facing cyberlibel and perjury complaints at the DOJ, the Leyte congressman said in a statement on Friday.
Romualdez did not name them in the statement, but he was apparently referring to the group of men who claimed to have delivered suitcases containing cash drawn from public works funds to various political figures, allegedly upon instructions from resigned Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, a former chair of the powerful House appropriations committee.
The group of 18 men was described as “ex-Marines” and Co’s former bodyguards when introduced to the public in late February by lawyer Levito Baligod.
‘A fair investigation?’
The Office of the Ombudsman last week said a special panel of prosecutors continued to gather evidence against Romualdez and Co, now including statements from eight of the men handled by Baligod. On Tuesday, it said the two respondents had been ordered to file their counteraffidavits.
Romualdez, a cousin of President Marcos, is under investigation for corruption involving billions of pesos in public works kickbacks, allegedly made possible through insertions in the national budget. He has maintained his innocence and his readiness to disprove the allegations in court, stressing that as a lawmaker he had no functional control over how public works projects were implemented.
In his statement on Friday, Romualdez said: “All I ask is fairness in the pursuit of justice. But the Ombudsman is using witnesses he himself and now the DOJ have already publicly discredited—and who are now facing cyberlibel and perjury charges.”
“Is this a fair investigation? These are witnesses (whose testimonies) have been junked, even sued for cyberlibel and perjury—but are still being used against me and me alone,’’ he said.
‘’I would not back down from this fight,’’ Romualdez said. ‘’I will not be intimidated. Let us do what is right.’’
Baligod and the so-called Co “bagmen” are facing libel and perjury complaints filed at the DOJ by several lawmakers and public figures who they claimed were recipients of the cash they delivered.
When they first came out in the media, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla then remarked that they appeared to be merely acting for “political effect.” He also noted that six of them had been charged with murder.
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