Former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez’s camp said it believes former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manny Bonoan could be pressured into linking Romualdez to the Office of the Ombudsman’s ongoing fact-finding investigation into the alleged flood control scam.
Romualdez spokesperson Atty. Ade Fajardo said Bonoan has not made any statements over the past year connecting the former House leader to alleged corruption involving flood control projects.
Fajardo also questioned claims that authorities have a strong case, saying no criminal complaint has been filed in court and no criminal charges have been initiated against Romualdez.
According to Fajardo, the camp is concerned by reports that the Office of the Ombudsman may use Bonoan to implicate Romualdez in the investigation. He claimed Bonoan could face pressure while under hospital arrest and later if he is transferred to a regular detention facility.
Fajardo said it is possible that Bonoan could be asked to fill what he described as an “evidentiary gap” in the case against Romualdez. He argued that if Bonoan were to provide information only at this stage, it would raise questions about why such details were not disclosed earlier.
He also asked why Bonoan had not spoken publicly if he had long possessed information relevant to the investigation, particularly when the fact-finding process has yet to progress.
Fajardo maintained that Romualdez is not currently the subject of a formal investigation. He said the matter remains at the fact-finding stage and has not advanced to a preliminary investigation, which would determine whether sufficient grounds exist to file formal charges.
The statements reflect the position of Romualdez’s camp regarding the ongoing Ombudsman fact-finding process. No ruling or criminal case against Romualdez was cited in the statement.
