Fajardo said the bodyguards’ withdrawal of their statements raised questions not only about which claims were true but also whether the individuals could still be considered credible witnesses in a criminal case.
He maintained that the recantations weakened the case against Romualdez, saying there was no solid evidence linking the former speaker to the billions of pesos in alleged kickbacks in the flood control scam.
“From our estimation, from our appreciation of the recantations, our position is that there is really no case. It is very weak,” Fajardo said.
“It seems the Ombudsman is simply making such remarks to say that the case is still alive,” he added.
Fajardo urged the anti-graft body to determine whether it had “credible and sufficient” evidence directly linking Romualdez to the allegations, saying the case should ultimately be dismissed if no such evidence exists.
Case pre-judged
Fajardo also expressed concern that the Ombudsman’s public pronouncements had “pre-judged” the case against Romualdez, whom investigators have described as a “mastermind” of the alleged flood control scheme.
He said such statements could influence public opinion and create the impression that Romualdez was guilty even before the preliminary investigation was completed.
“Well, from our appreciation, and we are apprehensive that because of the numerous public positions of the current Ombudsman, the case has been pre-judged,” Fajardo said.
“There seems to be a conclusion that has been formed and they are just chasing evidence to support a legal conclusion that, for us, leads to nothing,” he added.
Fajardo said their camp’s expectation is that the Ombudsman will resolve the case fairly and impartially in accordance with the Constitution.
In a press briefing Friday, Clavano said the Ombudsman considered the recantations additional evidence because they did not automatically erase the witnesses’ previous statements.
“Actually, there are more questions about the recantations than there are about the first affidavit. So when it gets to court, we believe that it is incumbent upon the prosecution to show which affidavits should be or represent the truth,” he said.
Clavano said the Ombudsman received information that Co’s bodyguards, supposedly former Marines, were paid to withdraw their statements, although he did not identify who provided the money.
In the complaint submitted for preliminary investigation, Romualdez was alleged to have received P56 billion in infrastructure kickbacks from 2022 to 2025. State investigators are seeking plunder, graft, bribery, and money laundering charges against him.
