After the reading of VP Sara Impeachment complaint result last 5 February 2025, former House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez shook hands with lawmakers present in the session.
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Lawmakers who were part of the House majority under former Speaker Martin Romualdez said they expect him to receive due process and an opportunity to answer the corruption allegations against him.
Manila Rep. Joel Chua, Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro and former Surigao del Norte congressman Robert Ace Barbers commented on the plunder charges against Romualdez during a press conference after the 22nd day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.
The three served under Romualdez’s leadership during the 19th Congress.
Citing the separation of powers between Congress and the Office of the Ombudsman, Chua said he expected Romualdez to exhaust available legal remedies to protect his constitutional rights.
“We respect the findings of the Ombudsman and, of course, we expect the former Speaker will exhaust only the remedies to protect his rights, especially his constitutional right. So, at least here, he would be given the opportunity to answer all the allegations against him,” Chua said.
Luistro, who previously described Romualdez as her mentor, said the filing of charges was consistent with the principles of transparency, accountability and the rule of law.
“I think this is consistent with the rule of law. The mandate of transparency and accountability…This is the rule of law, this is accountability and transparency, and we respect the process,” she said.
Luistro earlier said she was grateful to Romualdez for helping her seek assistance from government agencies after she was first elected to Congress in 2022.
“I am personally grateful to him because during that time, I was a neophyte congresswoman, I don’t know what to do, I don’t know how to solicit the help of these agencies and Speaker Martin was very helpful,” she said in an online interview.
She later clarified that her relationship with Romualdez had no bearing on her role in Duterte’s impeachment proceedings.
Barbers recalled that Romualdez had expressed willingness to cooperate with investigations into his alleged involvement in the multibillion-peso flood control scandal.
The former lawmaker said he believed Romualdez was preparing his defense and would appear before the court.
“Like they say, he will be given a day in court, so to speak. So that if given a chance to defend himself we will have a semblance of due process. It chooses no one nowadays, because whoever has committed a crime must face it,” Barbers said.
Barbers serves as a spokesperson for the House prosecution panel and an adviser in Duterte’s impeachment trial.
Romualdez remains confined at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City after authorities served his arrest warrant Monday on plunder charges.
Investigators accused Romualdez of conspiring with former congressman Zaldy Co to obtain P7.4 billion in kickbacks from infrastructure projects between 2022 and 2025.
Romualdez’s camp has denied the allegations and accused the government of making him a “scapegoat” in the flood control scandal.
