Philippines' Marcos Cousin Romualdez Jailed Over P7 Billion Flood Control Scam, What's Next?

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The cousin of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr – Tacloban City Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez – had finally been taken from the comforts of his hospital bed to a jail cell on Monday night.

The former House of Representatives Speaker was transported in the dead of night from the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) to the New Quezon City Jail following an order by the Philippine anti-corruption court to commit the lawmaker to prison.

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Romualdez was in fact arrested while he confined himself at a Cardinal Santos Medical Center private suite on September 7, complaining of various illnesses. The Sandiganbayan, however, did not agree to his continuing hospitalisation in a private suite and ordered his transfer to the government-run PGH on Saturday.

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After a battery of tests, PGH director Gerardo Legaspi earlier told the Sandiganbayan that Romualdez was medically stable and fit for discharge, clearing the way for his transfer to the jail facility in Payatas, Quezon City.

Romualdez has joined other high-profile respondents in the multi-billion corruption scandal rocking the Marcos Jr. government, including sitting and former senators, Cabinet secretaries and government engineers.

Romualdez is the closest ally to the president currently behind bars. Some political observers and critics, however, say that his arrest may be a ploy to shield Marcos from further scrutiny.

Should the buck stop with Romualdez?

ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio welcomed Romualdez's transfer to a proper jail as he faces a plunder case for over P7 billion in alleged kickbacks from various government projects from 2022 to 2025.

“This is a step forward in the people's demand for accountability. No special treatment, period,” Tinio said.

Tinio, however, underscored that Romualdez and former appropriations chairman Zaldy Co are only two of the so-called big fish in the massive flood control corruption scandal, and that accountability must reach all the way to the top.

He stressed that the pursuit of accountability must not end with the former Speaker and must go after the“biggest fish”: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“Let us not forget: the most widespread plunder of the public treasury in the post-Martial Law era could not have happened without the blessing, tolerance, implementation, direct involvement, and benefit of President Marcos Jr himself,” Tinio explained.

“The Filipino people, who have taken to the streets in their millions, demand nothing less than the prosecution of everyone implicated - from contractors and district engineers all the way to the President. The fight is far from over,” he added.

Back to the streets

Meanwhile, anti-corruption coalition Kilusang Bayan Kontra Kurakot (KBKK) announced another round of massive protest actions timed for the anniversary of the declaration of martial law by the president's late father, former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Sr, on September 21.

“(We) will focus on the continuing fight against poverty, corruption, and lack of public accountability. (We) will emphasise the call to deepen and expand the flood control scam investigations to uncover the masterminds, and will warn against the special treatment of flood control scam suspects,” the group said.

“As the [proposed] National Budget 2027 still includes P107 billion for flood control projects, (we) also call upon the government to prioritise social services rather than funds vulnerable to corruption,” KBKK added.

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