Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez named in ₱13-billion flood control scam; plunder, graft cases recommended vs 87

Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez has been thrust into the heart of the explosive flood control scandal, after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) named him among 87 individuals recommended for criminal and administrative charges over allegedly anomalous projects nationwide.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the agency, working with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI)and the Department of Justice, has formally pushed for the filing of cases before the Office of the Ombudsman, including plunder, malversation, anti-graft, and bribery, against those believed to be involved in the multi-billion-peso scheme.

“This is just the beginning. This will continue. We will not stop here,” Dizon warned during a press conference.

Authorities have already clawed back ₱150 million in public funds, while a staggering ₱13 billion worth of assets have been frozen, highlighting the sheer scale of what officials describe as one of the biggest public works scandals in recent memory.

Among the funds recovered were ₱40 million returned by former DPWH regional director Gerard Opulencia on December 16, and ₱110 million returned by former DPWH Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara on November 23. Investigators also raised ₱48 million from the sale of luxury vehicles owned by contractor couple Sarah and Curlee Discaya, further intensifying public anger.

As of December 6, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has frozen ₱13 billion in assets, including eight aircraft, 255 motor vehicles, 178 real properties, thousands of bank and e-wallet accounts, and hundreds of insurance policies marking one of the largest asset freezes ever linked to a public infrastructure scandal.