MANILA—Seven days ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), the Office of the Ombudsman announced a major milestone in its investigation into the controversial multi-billion peso flood control scandal. 

In a public announcement delivered by Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano on July 20, 2026, the anti-graft agency declared it is ready to file two separate complaints for preliminary investigation against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, former lawmaker Elizaldy Co, and several others. 

The pending complaints focus directly on charges of Plunder under Republic Act No. 7080 and violations of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, targeting what the agency calls a systemic diversion of public funds intended to shield Filipino communities from devastating floods.

The Ombudsman firmly identified Romualdez as the central figure of the illicit scheme, which investigators allege channeled massive infrastructure funds into predetermined payouts and kickbacks instead of functional flood control projects. 

According to Clavano, the core of the agency’s case relies heavily on the sworn, firsthand testimonies of eight individuals who previously served as Co’s personal security personnel. 

These witnesses provided detailed accounts of direct money deliveries from Co to Romualdez. 

The Ombudsman emphasized that this testimony is directly corroborated by an independent financial paper trail encompassing bank transfers, money service businesses, and shell companies explicitly tied to the former Speaker.

While the announcement marks a critical escalation just a week before the President's scheduled SONA, the Ombudsman clarified that the preliminary investigation does not yet constitute a formal court charge or a conviction. 

The agency maintains that all respondents retain the presumption of innocence and will be given a formal opportunity to submit their defenses and counter-affidavits. 

Once these responses are gathered, a panel of state prosecutors will officially resolve whether the evidence warrants elevating the high-profile plunder and money laundering cases to the Sandiganbayan.

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