Romualdez should be given chance to rebut Bonoan – lawyer

MANILA, Philippines — Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez should be given the chance to comment on any allegations that may be raised by former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, his lawyer said on Sunday.

In a statement, Ade Fajardo said Romualdez should be given the opportunity to refute any new accusations that might be hurled against him, urging “fair play” amid concerns that Bonoan could be pressured to link the former House Speaker to the multibillion-peso flood control scandal.

“We are requesting the Ombudsman to inform us if there is any allegation from Secretary Bonoan against former Speaker Romualdez and to give us ample time to comment on it,” Fajardo said.

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The lawyer also took note of a report that the Office of the Ombudsman had new witnesses lined up against Romualdez, saying he “would like to know if there is any statement from them against our client.”

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READ: Romualdez’s lawyer says Bonoan drop from plunder case ‘alarming’

“Fair play and due process require that such information and opportunity be accorded to us at this point in the process, the preliminary investigation stage, not if and when the Ombudsman decides to file charges in court,” Fajardo said.

‘No link, accusation’

Bonoan, who oversaw the buildup of flood control structures from 2022 until his resignation last year, is tied to a corruption scandal in which state engineers, contractors and politicians allegedly colluded to siphon funds meant for mitigation projects that had been poorly built or never existed.

Last week, the Sandiganbayan ordered Bonoan’s release after prosecutors asked the court to drop him as they sought to make him a state witness.

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READ: Ex-DPWH chief Bonoan released from PNP custody

Romualdez’s lawyers described as alarming the dropping of plunder charges against Bonoan. Fajardo said the former public works chief had never linked Romualdez to alleged congressional insertions in last year’s budget and did not facilitate backroom dealings tied to those allocations.

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“There has been no accusation from any of them since this controversy erupted more than a year ago,” Fajardo said. “Of course it would surprise us, to say the least, if an allegation surfaces now or in the future.”

Romualdez has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, including claims that he received kickbacks from flood works projects.

‘Prejudgment’

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said last week corruption charges are being prepared against Romualdez, even as some witnesses had withdrawn statements implicating him.

Those remarks “violate the rules of due process and prejudgment,” lawyer Antonio “Audie” Bucoy told dzBB radio on Sunday. “A preliminary investigation is supposed to determine whether there is probable cause to prosecute,”

“Now, if there is already such a declaration, then it undermines the very purpose of the preliminary investigation.”

Bucoy, a lawyer who served as spokesperson for the House prosecution team last year, said the Office of the Ombudsman may be engaging in trial by publicity to pin Romualdez even before a case is filed, as he noted that no evidence has surfaced so far linking him to the scandal.

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“What’s happening here is that the trial is being conducted in the media. It’s becoming a form of mind-conditioning, selling the idea that these people are already involved even before any evidence has been established,” he also said in Filipino. /cb