A supplemental complaint filed by the Office of the Ombudsman identified several properties in Makati and Manila where witnesses allegedly delivered cash intended for former House Speaker Martin Romualdez as part of an investigation into the alleged misuse of flood control funds.
According to the supplemental complaint, cited in a Politiko report, former members of the security detail of former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co claimed they witnessed the delivery of suitcases, paper bags and envelopes allegedly containing cash to addresses linked to Romualdez.
The properties identified include 42 McKinley Road, 30 Tamarind Road and 14 Narra Avenue in Forbes Park, Makati, as well as a residence on Aguado Street in Manila across Malacañang Palace.
Investigators said the McKinley Road property is registered under Romualdez and his wife, Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez. The complaint also cited previous public statements linking the Aguado Street property to the Romualdez family and alleged that corporate records indicate Romualdez is the beneficial owner of the Narra Avenue and Tamarind Road properties.
The Ombudsman has accused Romualdez and Co of amassing more than ₱56 billion in alleged ill-gotten wealth between 2022 and 2025 through kickbacks tied to flood control projects.
The complaint cited statements from seven members of Co’s former security team, who allegedly corroborated earlier testimonies presented before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee regarding repeated cash deliveries.
According to the witnesses, small suitcases allegedly contained between ₱15 million and ₱25 million, medium-sized suitcases between ₱30 million and ₱40 million, and large suitcases between ₱50 million and ₱70 million. They also claimed paper bags carried between ₱5 million and ₱10 million, while expandable envelopes contained about ₱2 million.
The complaint alleged that deliveries to the McKinley Road property began in January 2021 and became regular from 2022 to 2024, occurring two to three times a week.
It also alleged that the largest delivery took place in December 2023, when 50 suitcases and several boxes containing an estimated ₱1.1 billion in cash were brought to the property.
The complaint further identified Jocelyn Sereño, described as Romualdez’s personal aide, as one of the alleged recipients of the deliveries.
Additional allegations in the complaint include deliveries of seven large suitcases to the Aguado Street residence in 2023, as well as alleged cash deliveries to a townhouse at the Manila Polo Club.
By mid-2024, investigators alleged that the deliveries had shifted to the property on Narra Avenue.
The supplemental complaint forms part of the Ombudsman’s ongoing preliminary investigation. The allegations have yet to be tested in court, and Romualdez has previously denied wrongdoing and said he is prepared to face the investigation
