Almost a year after President Marcos publicly exposed alleged corruption in flood-control projects during his State of the Nation Address (SONA), the government’s anti-graft campaign has led to the filing of criminal cases against high-profile politicians and the detention of two former senators, with the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) saying even bigger cases are on the way.

Ahead of this year’s SONA, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla defended the pace of the investigations, saying building corruption cases involving major political figures takes time because of the volume and complexity of the evidence.

Remulla said the OMB is also preparing charges against former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez over alleged flood-control irregularities, saying the case has been more difficult than the Pharmally investigation because of its magnitude and the lengthy process of gathering the evidence the office wanted.

“Matagal talaga magkamada ng kaso. Kung Pharmally six months para mabuo namin, mahirap din ’yon. The level of case ni Speaker, daig pa ang Pharmally sa hirap, laki, at haba ng aming pinagdaanan para makuha namin ang gusto naming makuha (Building a case really takes time. It took us six months to complete the Pharmally case, and that was already difficult. The case involving the Speaker surpasses the Pharmally case in terms of difficulty, magnitude, and the length of the process we had to undergo to obtain the evidence we want) When the indictment comes, you will know,” he said during a press briefing on July 17, when asked about cases filed ahead of SONA.

The first criminal case stemming from the administration’s flood-control crackdown was filed on Nov. 18, 2025, when the Ombudsman charged former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, several officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region IV-B, and directors of Sunwest Corporation over the alleged anomalous P289-million flood-control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

Assistant Ombudsman Jose Dominic “Mico” Clavano IV said the filing marked the first criminal cases arising from the alleged flood-control kickback scheme first flagged by Marcos during his fourth SONA.

However, Co remains at large after the Sandiganbayan issued a warrant for his arrest in connection with the case.

On Jan. 16, 2026, the Ombudsman filed graft and malversation charges against former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and six officials of the DPWH Bulacan First District Engineering Office over an alleged P92.8-million ghost flood-control project in Pandi, Bulacan.

The charges stemmed from an investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation-Bulacan South District Office and were supported by the sworn statement of former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, who alleged he delivered millions of pesos to Revilla in exchange for facilitating or endorsing flood-control projects.

The Ombudsman later escalated its crackdown on May 28, when it filed plunder and graft charges before the Sandiganbayan against Senator Jose “Jinggoy” P. Ejercito Estrada, former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, and several DPWH engineering officials over alleged illegal budget insertions and more than P573 million in alleged kickbacks linked to infrastructure and flood-control projects under the DPWH’s Fiscal Year 2025 portfolio.

According to Clavano, the Ombudsman’s evaluation showed that substantial public funds were allegedly funneled into designated infrastructure projects in exchange for predetermined commission fees or kickbacks, with case records indicating alleged illicit payouts exceeding P573 million.

Revilla and Estrada are now detained at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas along with their respective co-accused who were ordered committed to detention by the Sandiganbayan, while Bonoan remains under hospital confinement because of his illnesses.