Former Duterte chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo on Friday claimed that the Office of the Ombudsman may have filed a “half-baked” case against former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Panelo said the lengthy delay in filing the plunder complaint before the Sandiganbayan raised doubts about the case as he theorized that investigators may have spent the time looking for evidence that could later be removed or “sanitized” to help absolve Romualdez.
“Bakit ang tagal? Kaya you cannot remove the people’s doubt or the truthfulness of the case. You know why? Kasi kaya matagal, naghahanap kayo ng mga ebidensya na puwedeng tanggalin para ma-absuwelto (si Romualdez),” Panelo said.
“So by doing that, you’re filing a (half-baked) case,” he added.
Panelo said the filing does not necessarily prove that the administration is going after a “big fish” as he noted that the allegations extend beyond Romualdez and involve President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
He also questioned whether the case was merely “moro-moro,” or a show, that could eventually result in Romualdez’s acquittal to protect the alleged mastermind.
“Either moro-moro yan, iaabsuwelto yan later on para pagtakpan yung real mastermind, or itutuloy mo yan (dahil) baka akala nila hindi gagawin ni Martin (spill the beans on other flood control personalities),” Panelo said.
“Sa tingin ko gagawin niya yan pag tinuluyan mo siya,” he added.
Panelo said the case could also trigger Romualdez to disclose information against other personalities if the former Speaker is fully prosecuted.
“So moro-moro yan kung hindi sila nagco-coordinate with former Speaker Martin,” he said.#