Former Speaker Martin Romualdez, the incumbent Leyte representative, is expected to file a petition for bail on Monday in his plunder case arising from alleged kickbacks from flood control and infrastructure projects.
Defense counsel and spokesperson Ade Fajardo said the petition has been drafted and would likely be filed Monday now that the pre-trial proceedings have been terminated.
Romualdez is currently detained without bail at the Quezon City Jail.
“We are happy that the pre-trial proceedings are out of the way. It was terminated by the court this morning. We have had plenty of time to prepare, so we have the petition for bail ready. We will most likely file it on Monday,” Fajardo told reporters on Friday.
The bail hearings at the Sandiganbayan Third Division are expected to begin on the second week of October.
Fajardo said the defense is looking forward to seeing the prosecution’s evidence supporting the plunder charge against Romualdez.
The defense has around 40 witnesses for the trial proper, but Fajardo said they may not all be called. It would depend on how strong the prosecution’s evidence is.
“If we feel that the prosecution’s evidence is not that strong, we might not feel the need to present those witnesses,” he said.
He also said Romualdez is expected to take the stand in his defense.
“Of course, the most important witness is the accused, Cong. Romualdez. He wants his day to defend himself in court and he will most likely testify. He’s also about to be listed as an actual witness when it is the turn of the defense to present evidence,” he said.
Romualdez, former lawmaker Elizaldy Co, Romualdez’s personal aide Joselyn Serenio, and businessman Felicito Guevarra were charged in connection with alleged P7.4 billion in kickbacks.