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Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star
April 26, 2026 | 12:00am
Chiz slapped with ethics rap; blames Martin Romualdez anew Senate President Francis Escudero and Speaker of the House Martin Romualdez wait for the arrival of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos to deliver the annual State of the Nation Address at the House of Representatives in Manila on July 22, 2024.
AFP / Jam Sta. Rosa
MANILA, Philippines — After former House speaker Martin Romualdez, the Office of the Ombudsman is now seeking to bar former Senate president Francis Escudero and another individual from leaving the country over their alleged involvement in the flood control scandal.
According to information obtained by reporters, the ombudsman filed an application for the issuance of a precautionary hold departure order (HDO) against Escudero and businessman Maynard Ngu before the Sandiganbayan on April 25.
Ngu, a tech billionaire who contributed P30 million to the senatorial campaign of Escudero in 2022, was tagged as “bagman” of the senator by former public works undersecretary Roberto Bernardo.
The cases were raffled to the Sandiganbayan’s Sixth Division, composed of Associate Justices Sarah Jane Fernandez as chairperson, with Kevin Narce Vivero and Lord Villanueva as members, based on the court’s website.
A hearing on the ombudsman’s ex parte application has yet to be scheduled, The STAR also learned.
The move comes after earlier developments in the case involving alleged irregularities in flood control and road network projects.
Reports previously cited former Department of Public Works and Highways undersecretary Roberto Bernardo as saying he took charge of delivering P160 million worth of kickbacks – equivalent to 20 percent of the P800 million allocated for projects linked to Escudero in Valenzuela City and Marinduque.
Bernardo “personally delivered” the kickbacks to Ngu, he added.
Ngu, who serves as director of several technology firms, resigned as director of Altus Property Ventures Inc. following his inclusion in the controversy. He also served as special envoy to China for trade, investments and tourism in 2023.
The now-defunct Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) earlier recommended filing plunder, direct or indirect bribery, corruption and other charges against Escudero and Ngu.
