Lawyers representing former House Speaker and Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez have called on Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla to withdraw from the ongoing flood control investigation, arguing that a series of public remarks by the anti-graft chief has already rendered the outcome of any probe a predetermined conclusion.
In a letter sent to Remulla on April 22, the law firm Villaraza & Angangco cited multiple statements the Ombudsman made in recent weeks, saying they collectively constitute a “pattern of prejudgment” that strips Romualdez of any meaningful right to due process.
The letter pointed to an April 6 press conference where Remulla announced his office was actively preparing a plunder case against Romualdez and former Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero over alleged anomalies in flood control budget insertions. Remulla had indicated a filing could come within May, that Romualdez “did not act alone,” and that the case would proceed “as conspiracy” — potentially drawing in officials from the Department of Budget and Management.
The camp also flagged a separate April 16 press briefing where the Ombudsman’s own spokesperson referred to Romualdez as a “master plunderer” — a characterization Romualdez’s lawyers said crossed a clear line.
“Such statements are unequivocal: the Honorable Office has already determined that our client is guilty of plunder even before any case has been filed and while it is still performing investigatory duties,” the letter read.
The Romualdez camp further raised the issue of the lawmaker’s blocked travel request, which he had filed for a medical checkup abroad. Remulla publicly acknowledged he had not acted favorably on the request — despite, the lawyers noted, the request not having been addressed to him in the first place.
“The Honorable Ombudsman is no longer the Secretary of the Department of Justice, and it is beyond the ambit of his authority as Ombudsman to restrain any person’s right to travel,” the letter stated.
The lawyers also cited Remulla’s remark — “baka hindi na bumalik” — as an unsubstantiated suggestion that Romualdez posed a flight risk.
Taken as a whole, Romualdez’s legal team argued that the cumulative effect of these statements makes it “practically impossible” for anyone within the Ombudsman’s office to reach any conclusion other than the one already declared publicly, and that any resulting investigation “would be a sham and violative of due process.”
The letter formally requested that the matter be transferred to “an independent and impartial body or officer” free from bias. The inhibition demand comes amid a broader escalation that has also seen Remulla ask the Anti-Money Laundering Council to freeze Romualdez’s assets.
