Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Saturday, April 25, identified former House speaker Martin Romualdez as the lawmaker whose assets were ordered frozen by the Court of Appeals (CA).

“Si former Speaker Martin Romualdez, na-freeze na ’yung kaniyang… May freeze order na (Former Speaker Martin Romualdez, his assets have already been frozen… there is already a freeze order),” Remulla said during an interview with DZRH.

Earlier, the CA ordered a freeze on dozens of bank accounts and properties belonging to a prominent legislator, a business associate, and a linked corporation amid an expanding probe into alleged anomalies in government flood-control projects, although the lawmaker was not named.

The freeze order, issued on April 23, covers 25 bank accounts and 10 insurance policies held by the unnamed incumbent lawmaker, as well as 27 bank accounts, 10 insurance policies, and an investment account of an associate, along with two bank accounts and a real estate property of a corporate entity, per the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

“Court of Appeals kasi doon talaga dinadala ang freeze orders ng AMLC. Diyan talaga sila kukuha ng court order (Because freeze orders from the Anti-Money Laundering Council are really brought to the Court of Appeals. That is where they obtain a court order),” he added.

Remulla said more cases are being prepared against Romualdez, with several expected to be filed soon.

“Actually, isang kaso pa lang iyan, pero we have five to six cases lined up, sunod-sunod iyan ipa-file within the next two weeks (Actually, that is only one case so far, but we have five to six cases lined up, and they will be filed one after another within the next two weeks),” he said.

“All the cases will involve the same action by the AMLC. Kaya itong sa court, ima-manifest na lang namin sa court may iba pa kaming kaso (So for the court, we will simply manifest that we have other cases as well),” he added.

Remulla said the cases are already undergoing preliminary investigation, indicating that legal procedures are being followed as the complaints progress.

“Under PI na, under preliminary investigation, it already signifies that the process is being followed already (It is already under preliminary investigation, which signifies that the process is being followed),” he said.

He stressed that due process is being strictly observed even as authorities pursue multiple cases against the same respondent, whom he described as rich and powerful.

“Ang kalaban namin dito, akusado sa pagnanakaw sa gobyerno. Ito, tiga gobyerno ito, ito maraming pera, may kapangyarihan; hindi ho madaling labanan ito (We are up against someone accused of stealing from the government. This is a government official, someone with money and power; it is not easy to fight this),” said Remulla.

“Kaya lang, binigyan tayo ng kaukulang tungkulin sa batas na gawin ang lahat. At binigyan tayo ng ilang tinatawag na powers of the office para magawa mo ‘yung trabaho. Lagat ‘yan may due process (However, we have been given the proper mandate under the law to do everything, along with what are called the powers of the office to carry out the job. All of these follow due process),” he went on.