Philippine lawmaker pleads not guilty to taking kickbacks in flood control projects

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Philippine lawmaker and former speaker of the House of Representatives pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges alleging he pocketed millions of dollars in kickbacks from flood control projects, his lawyer said.

Rep. Martin Romualdez, a cousin and former ally of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., is among several powerful legislators accused of pocketing huge kickbacks. Nearly 10,000 flood control projects worth more than $9 billion that were supposed to have been undertaken since Marcos took office in mid-2022 have come under scrutiny. Many were found to be substandard, overpriced or not built at all.

Flooding and landslides from the seasonal monsoon and typhoons cause considerable damage and casualties in the Southeast Asian country.

Romualdez was arrested last week in a hospital and is facing plunder charges at the anti-graft Sandiganbayan court along with three others. Plunder is a nonbailable offense.

He has since been moved to a jail in Quezon City in metropolitan Manila. The court granted his motion to be arraigned via video conference from the jail facility.

“Congressman Romualdez’s arraignment took place this morning and he entered a plea of not guilty,” his lawyer Ade Fajardo said. “He is maintaining his innocence.”

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, whose office filed the charges, said more cases will be filed against Romualdez and others, including plunder and money laundering.

He told a news conference last week that the case against Romualdez and the three co-defendants involves 7.4 billion pesos ($118 million) used in various transactions. He said so much money was stolen that they tried to hide it by buying several houses, and even donating $1 million to Harvard University.

Another top official indicted by the anti-graft court is former Rep. Zaldy Co, who used to head the House appropriations committee and is now considered a fugitive after fleeing to Europe. An incumbent senator, a former senator and several ex-government engineers and public works officials as well as wealthy construction executives have been detained while facing trial on corruption charges.

Marcos had described the alleged scale of corruption as “horrible” and had established an independent commission, which has since been disbanded, to investigate. The Senate Blue Ribbon committee also earlier conducted a number of hearings on the flood control controversy.