A former speaker of the house in the Philippines, a relative of the country’s president, was arrested on Monday night over accusations that he pocketed $118 million in kickbacks from flood control and other infrastructure projects.
A warrant for Martin Romualdez, a first cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., was served inside a hospital room in San Juan City. Mr. Romualdez resigned as speaker last year but still represents the province of Leyte in congress.
Mr. Romualdez has repeatedly denied involvement in the scandal, which involved the diversion of public funds intended to build infrastructure for a $9.8 billion flood control program.
Hours after the country’s ombudsman announced that a charge of plunder had been filed against Mr. Romualdez, he went to the Cardinal Santos Medical Center on Monday afternoon. He was being treated for cardiovascular problems, unstable blood pressure and an anxiety attack, according to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, who accompanied the police to serve the warrant and spoke to reporters at the hospital.
The ombudsman, Jesus Crispin Remulla, investigated the case and presented it before an anti-graft court, but declined to discuss how he arrived at the charge. He said it was “first of the many.” (Mr. Remulla is the brother of the interior secretary.)
Mr. Marcos’s former public works secretary, Manuel Bonoan, is expected to be a witness in the case, the ombudsman said at a news conference.
The arrest of Mr. Romualdez came more than a month after Mr. Marcos said in his state of the nation address that multiple cases would be filed against his cousin.
The interior secretary said Mr. Romualdez would be transferred to a city jail once doctors have cleared him to leave the hospital.
“He cannot hide behind his wealth,” he said.
The scandal came to light last year after Mr. Marcos gave a speech promoting the country’s flood control efforts. Not long afterward, the Philippines sustained extensive damage from flooding.
Last August, Mr. Marcos acknowledged that the multiyear flood program was riddled with corruption. He created an independent commission to investigate wrongdoing, and pledged to punish offenders.
It has become a ballooning crisis for the president. Floods kill scores of Filipinos every year. In 2026, at least 30 people were killed during heavy rains, and thousands had to leave their homes.
