HOUSE GRANTS TRAVEL CLEARANCE TO ROMUALDEZ AMID OMBUDSMAN DENIAL
In a significant development at the House of Representatives, Speaker Faustino "Bojie" Dy III has officially granted a travel clearance to former House Speaker and current Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez. The authorization allows Romualdez to travel to Singapore from April 20 to May 4, 2026, specifically to undergo a long-overdue medical procedure related to his previous angioplasty surgery. In his formal request, Romualdez provided a firm assurance to the House leadership that he would return to the Philippines immediately upon the conclusion of his treatment to remain fully accessible for his legislative duties.
The travel clearance comes at a sensitive time, as Romualdez remains under an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order issued in October 2025 in connection with ongoing investigations into alleged irregularities in flood control projects. Despite the internal approval from the House, the move faces a major legal hurdle from the executive branch. Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla announced on Tuesday that his office has formally denied the representative's request to travel.
Remulla cited the gravity of the pending investigations as the primary reason for the denial, expressing concerns that the former Speaker might not return to face potential charges. The Ombudsman noted that his office is currently finalizing plunder complaints against Romualdez and emphasized that the risk of flight outweighs the medical necessity cited in the request. While the House Secretary General has signed off on the personal travel request, the conflicting directives between the legislative clearance and the Ombudsman’s rejection leave Romualdez's departure for Singapore in a state of legal uncertainty.
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