The camp of former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said Wednesday it will challenge the Sandiganbayan’s precautionary hold departure order (PHDO) and denied allegations that he attempted to leave the country to evade an ongoing investigation into a supposed kickback scheme involving flood control projects.
In a statement, Romualdez’s lawyer and spokesperson, Atty. Ade Fajardo, said the legal team is preparing to exhaust all available remedies to contest the travel restriction through proper judicial channels.
The Sandiganbayan Seventh Division, chaired by Associate Justice Lorifel Pahimna, issued the PHDO upon the request of the Office of the Ombudsman following a hearing held the same day. The order bars Romualdez from leaving the Philippines while under investigation.
Fajardo emphasized that Romualdez remains in the country and has not attempted to flee, calling reports suggesting otherwise “false and irresponsible.”
He added that the former House Speaker had complied with all procedural requirements, including securing travel authority and coordinating with the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Immigration for a scheduled four-day medical consultation in Singapore.
The camp maintained that the planned trip was legitimate and undertaken in good faith, consistent with Romualdez’s record of cooperation with legal processes and relevant government agencies.
Fajardo also criticized what he described as misinterpretations of the situation, saying the medical trip was unfairly framed as an attempt to avoid accountability.
Despite the issuance of the PHDO, the camp said Romualdez remains ready to respond to the allegations and will address the matter through appropriate legal procedures.