Gov’t beefs up ‘Big Fish’ scenario

The Marcos administration is reinforcing its narrative that former congressional leaders are the “big fish” in the P1-trillion “Floodgate” scandal, following a series of coordinated actions taken on Saturday.

The Office of the Ombudsman moved to bar former Senate President Francis Escudero and his associate, businessman Maynard Ngu, from leaving the country as investigations into the corruption scandal intensified.

An application for a Precautionary Hold Departure Order against the two was filed by a representative of the Office of the Ombudsman before the Sandiganbayan on Saturday.

No formal charges have yet been filed against Escudero and Ngu.

Former public works undersecretary Roberto Bernardo had accused Ngu of being Escudero’s bagman.

Bernardo claimed he first delivered P160 million to Escudero at Ngu’s building in Manila, and made a second delivery of P120 million at the same location, both in early 2025.

Also on Saturday, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla pushed back against calls for his office to step back from its investigation of former House speaker Martin Romualdez, asserting that prosecutors are constitutionally bound to pursue cases on behalf of the Filipino people.

The Ombudsman said the request from Romualdez’s camp “does not make sense under the law,” stressing that inhibition applies to courts to ensure impartiality, not to prosecutorial bodies tasked with going after alleged wrongdoing.

“Prosecutors are supposed to side with the victims of crimes,” Remulla said in a radio program, underscoring that “in corruption cases, the victims are the Filipino public.”

Romualdez’s legal counsel, the Villaraza & Angangco Law Office, had asked the Ombudsman to inhibit from the case, citing statements made by Remulla and Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano that they claimed showed prejudgment and bias.

Remulla maintained that the Office of the Ombudsman’s constitutional mandate is precisely to guard against corruption and to prosecute erring public officials, making inhibition incompatible with its role.

“How can we prosecute that if you inhibit yourself? That’s your duty, that is our responsibility under the Constitution,” he said.

Romualdez assets frozen

Remulla also confirmed on Saturday that the Court of Appeals had issued a freeze order on the assets of Romualdez, who is the representative of Leyte’s First District.

“Former speaker Romualdez’s [assets] have been frozen,” he said on the DZRH executive Session.

During the radio interview, the Ombudsman was asked if the order came from the Court of Appeals, which he confirmed.

“[It is] from the Court of Appeals because that is where the AMLC (Anti-Money Laundering Council) files freeze orders,” Remulla said.

The AMLC on Friday reported that it had secured a freeze order on the assets of a “prominent incumbent legislator” allegedly involved in the flood control corruption scandal.

Remulla said the Office of the Solicitor General represented the action initiated by the AMLC.

In response to inquiries about a congressman whose assets were frozen, Remulla confirmed that it referred to Romualdez. “Yes,” he said.

Meanwhile, the AMLC said the freeze order covered 25 bank accounts and 10 insurance policies registered in the name of the unnamed legislator.

Remulla revealed that five to six cases are set to be filed at the Office of the Ombudsman within the next two weeks.

“[In] all the cases, we will involve the same action by the AMLC,” he said.

“Thus, in the Court [of Appeals], we will just manifest it there because we still have other cases [in the Office of the Ombudsman],” Remulla added.