The Sandiganbayan has denied a motion filed by Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez to lift a precautionary hold departure order tied to a multibillion-peso infrastructure corruption investigation, according to BusinessWorld .
In a resolution dated June 1 and made public on Wednesday, the anti-graft court’s Seventh Division ruled that the plea was both procedurally defective and lacked substantive merit. The order remains in effect as the investigation into alleged irregularities continues.
Romualdez, a House leader, has not commented on the ruling. The case is part of a broader government crackdown on corruption in public works contracts.