House Speaker Martin Romualdez hears the decision of members of Congress to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte at the House of Representatives in Quezon City in Manila, Philippines, Wednesday, Feb.5, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerard Carreon, File)
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Philippine lawmaker and former speaker of the House of Representatives was arrested on Monday for allegedly pocketing millions of dollars in kickbacks from flood control projects, many of which were never constructed in a country that is facing destructive typhoons.
Rep. Martin Romualdez, a cousin and former ally of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and three others are facing plunder charges at the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, whose office filed the charges, told a news conference that the case involves 7.4 billion pesos ($118 million) “divided in various transactions where the money was used.”
Nearly 10,000 flood control projects worth more than 545 billion pesos ($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.
