Martin Romualdez likely to testify in plunder case, says lawyer

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Former Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez will likely take the witness stand to defend himself in the P7.4 billion plunder charge he is facing over his alleged involvement in the flood control project kickback scheme, his lawyer Ade Fajardo said Friday.

Fajardo said this after the pre-trial conference, a court process wherein evidence for both the prosecution and the defense are marked, was terminated.

“Ang pinakaimportante ay ang akusado mismo, si Congressman Romualdez. He wants his day to defend himself in court, and he will most likely testify,” Fajardo said.

“’He’s about to be listed as an actual witness when it is the turn of the defense to present evidence. For the bail hearing, normally the presentation of evidence is just on the part of the prosecution," he added.

"It is merely an option for the defense to present counter evidence. But as to the presentation of evidence in chief, likelier than not, tetestigo po si Congressman Romualdez,” Fajardo said.

Fajardo said that Romualdez will file his petition for bail on Monday, September 28.

“The petition for bail, this has been ready for some time now. We were only waiting for the actual filing once the pre-trial conference is terminated," he said.

Romualdez’s camp told the Sandiganbayan Third Division that they intend to present 40 witnesses for the bail hearing.

Fajardo, however, said that the fielding of witnesses will depend on the merits, or lack of, of the prosecution’s witnesses.

“If we feel that the evidence of the prosecution is weak, then there might be no need to present all those [40] witnesses,” Fajardo said.

Romualdez attended the pre-trial conference online from his cell in New Quezon City jail due to his current heart- and brain-related ailments. –NB, GMA News