The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday, October 17, denied reports claiming that Leyte 1st District Representative and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez is being considered as a state witness in the investigation into alleged flood control fund anomalies.
DOJ spokesperson Raphael Martinez said the department found no factual or legal basis for the claim. “There’s no ground for that report,” he stressed, adding that Romualdez has not filed any application under the Witness Protection, Security and Benefits Program (WPSB).
Martinez explained that the process requires an applicant to submit a formal request to the DOJ before being evaluated for eligibility as a state witness. “As of today, former Speaker Romualdez has not submitted any application,” he said.
He assured the public that the DOJ will carry out all investigations “swiftly and fairly,” emphasizing that the department will not spare anyone if evidence warrants action.
Martinez also reminded the public to rely on verified DOJ information and to be wary of political propaganda or “false and misleading claims” that misuse legal terms to confuse the public.
“The DOJ remains firm in upholding the rule of law based on facts, not politics,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) continued its inter-agency coordination meetings on Friday with the Department of Health and the Department of Education. ICI officials also met with U.S. Embassy Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Michael Kelleher.
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a personal blog on Medium.