“While the Romualdezes are reveling in their stolen wealth, the people of Eastern Visayas struggle with extreme food insecurity.”

By Veronika Barbosa

“While the Romualdezes are reveling in their stolen wealth, the people of Eastern Visayas struggle with extreme food insecurity.”

TACLOBAN CITY – Progressive groups from Eastern Visayas welcomed the arrest of Leyte First District Representative and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez over charges of plunder.

In a statement, Bagong Alyansang Makayan (Bayan) Sinirangan Bisayas considered Romualdez’s arrest as a win for the Filipino people. “It’s been a year since we have incessantly marched the streets to protest the widespread corruption and finally, key players of ghost flood control projects like Romualdez are now being held accountable.”

While the group welcomed the warrants of arrest issued to Martin Romualdez and former Ako Bicol Representative Zaldy Co, they said that the magnitude of such corruption extends beyond Co and Romualdez and could have not been carried out by only two or four individuals.

“The testimonies and revelations of Co and DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo points to a much wider network of officials involved. Most seriously, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. tolerated and benefited from the scheme,” Bayan Alyansang Makabayan said in a statement.Bayan also challenged both Co and Romualdez to reveal the full extent of the conspiracy and all individuals involved. “The government must follow the money, identify every official and private individual who participated in or benefited from the scheme, and ensure they are punished.”

“The Romualdez clan is a political dynasty closely tied to the Marcoses. Martin’s father, Benjamin “Kokoy” Romuadez, the younger brother of Imelda Marcos, served as Leyte Governor, and later appointed as ambassador to the United States, China, and Saudi Arabia during the Marcos dictatorship, was in cahoots with the Marcoses in embezzling public funds,” Bayan-SB said.

As First District Representative of Leyte, Martin Romualdez received a total of P57 billion of funds from the Department of Public Works and Highways from 2023 until 2026, the highest among all legislative districts in the country.

Despite this, Bayan-SB noted that “the people of Leyte and Eastern Visayas still suffer from skyrocketing prices and measly wages”.

“While the Romualdezes are reveling in their stolen wealth, the people of Eastern Visayas struggle with extreme food insecurity,” said Bayan-SB.

Kabataan Partylist Tacloban Chapter Chairperson Rejomar Baltar, in an interview with Bulatlat, said that Filipinos should stay vigilant and continuously call for the arrest of all the politicians involved in large-scale corruption. “We have to remain cautious of Marcos Jr.’s attempt to escape accountability. Corrupt officials must be held accountable from Romualdez, Co, and even Marcos Jr,” he said.

“The youth of Tacloban and Eastern Visayas will not stop until all the masterminds and enablers of the anomalous flood control projects are put behind bars,” said Baltar. (AMU, RVO)

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