Lily Reyes 
MULING pinukol ni Ombudsman Crispin Remulla si former House Speaker Martin Romualdez na umano’y “mastermind” sa likod ng dambuhalang eskandalo kaugnay ng flood control projects ng gobyerno.
Bukod kay Romualdez, tinukoy rin ni Remulla si dating Ako Bicol partylist Rep. Zaldy Co na tinawag niyang kakuntsaba ni Romualdez.
Ayon kay Remulla, pormal nang inirekomenda ng Special Panel of Investigators (SPI) ang pagsasampa ng kasong plunder, direct at indirect bribery, paglabag sa Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, at money laundering laban kina Romualdez at Co na aniya’y nagsabwatan sa pag mamanipula ng national budget.
“This opportunistic corruption was carried out with a brazenness that speaks not only of immense greed, but of a complete disregard for consequence,” saad sa rekomendasyon ng Ombudsman panel.
Ayon sa SPI, ginamit umano ni Romualdez ang negosyanteng si Jose Raulito Paras, kanyang fraternity brother sa Upsilon Sigma Phi, bilang dummy para makuha ang isang mala-palasyong mansyon sa Forbes Park na nagsilbing bagsakan ng nakulimbat na salapi.
Bahagi rin ng mga ebidensya ang mga video statement ng puganteng kongresista — at maging ang mga sinumpaang salaysay ng senate witness na si Orly Guteza at 18 dating Marine personnel na nagdeliver ng male-maletang pera sa mga opisyal ng pamahalaan — kabilang si Romualdez at Co.
“To disregard the testimonies of those who had direct participation in, or personal knowledge of, the scheme on this basis alone would be to accord impunity to precisely those offenses most carefully engineered to avoid trace,” anang SPI.
“These coordinated acts are not isolated or coincidental. Rather, they reveal a synchronized and interdependent operation: Romualdez provided the authority, direction, and ultimate control, while Co executed the operational aspects of the scheme within the budget process and facilitated the collection and delivery of illicit proceeds,” dugtong ng panel.
