The Office of the Ombudsman has suspended its investigation into a graft complaint against House Speaker Martin Romualdez and other House leaders regarding the passage of the P6.325 trillion national budget for 2025.
Ombudsman Defers to Supreme Court
Ombudsman Samuel Martires stated that the anti-graft body cannot rule on the same issue currently being challenged before the Supreme Court.
He was referring to a petition for certiorari and prohibition filed before the High Court by former Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez, Davao City Representative Isidro Ungab, and others. The petition questions the legality of the 2025 General Appropriations Act, citing alleged blank provisions in the bicameral conference committee report.
Legal Process Must Take Its Course
“Doubtless, the alleged criminal liability of respondents Romualdez, et. al., that is raised in the herein Complaint, refers also to the same blank items in the Bicam Report that is the subject of the petition for certiorari and prohibition,” Martires explained.
“In the wink of an eye, common sense will remind any student of the law that judicial courtesy dictates that the quasi-judicial body should, and must yield and await the decision of the High Tribunal before acting on the case pending before it,” he added.
Probe Suspended Until Supreme Court Ruling
Martires emphasized that the Ombudsman must wait for the Supreme Court’s decision on the constitutionality of the budget before proceeding with any criminal action.
“The Supreme Court must first resolve the issue of constitutionality before the criminal action pending before the Ombudsman will proceed. Wherefore, the foregoing considered, further action on the criminal complaint docketed as OMB-C-C-FEB-25-0042 is ordered suspended and held in abeyance until such time that the Supreme Court has resolved with finality the pending Petition for Certiorari and Prohibition in G.R. No. 27797,” he stated.
Preventive Suspension Motion Denied
Additionally, Martires rejected a motion for preventive suspension against Romualdez and other House leaders, noting that no formal graft case has been filed yet.
“Here, no [criminal] information has as yet been filed so obviously, the mandatory suspension pendente lite under Section 13 of R.A. No. 3019 does not also apply,” he said.
“For utter paucity of merit, the Motion for Preventive Suspension, dated February 17, 2025, is hereby denied,” he concluded.
The Ombudsman’s decision effectively puts the investigation on hold, with further action depending on the Supreme Court’s final ruling on the case.
