US Cancels Martin Romualdez's Diplomatic and Tourist Visas Amid Flood Control Probe

The United States has revoked both the diplomatic and tourist visas of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez confirmed on June 5 — a significant diplomatic signal that lands as the Leyte representative faces Ombudsman complaints for plunder, graft, money laundering, and bribery connected to the multibillion-peso flood control corruption scandal. Washington cancelled Romualdez's A-1 diplomatic visa and his B1/B2 non-immigrant visa for business and tourism several weeks prior to the ambassador's public confirmation, according to reporting by Rappler, the Philippine Star, and the Philippine Daily Inquirer. The cancellations were communicated not only to Romualdez but also to the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice. The US Embassy in Manila declined to explain the move. "Due to visa record confidentiality, the US Department of State does not comment on individual visa cases or specific actions taken," an embassy spokesperson said, as quoted by multiple outlets. Romualdez has not publicly commented on the visa revocations. His office had not issued a statement as of the time of publication. **A Rare and Pointed Action** The simultaneous cancellation of both a diplomatic and a tourism visa is unusual. A-1 visas are typically issued to sitting heads of state and senior officials on official travel; their revocation signals Washington's unwillingness to treat Romualdez as a diplomatic counterpart. The B1/B2 revocation goes further, effectively barring him from entering the United States for any purpose. The US has previously used visa revocations as a tool of accountability pressure in the Philippines. In 2019, the State Department revoked the visa of then-Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa over his role in the Duterte administration's drug war crackdowns. The move against Romualdez — simultaneous revocation of both visa categories — is even broader in scope. According to the Philippine Tribune, citing Philippine Ambassador Romualdez (a cousin of the former speaker), the US side informed relevant Philippine agencies of the cancellations in addition to notifying Romualdez directly. **The Flood Control Complaints** Martin Romualdez, who served as House Speaker until the ouster of the Cayetano-aligned bloc in Congress earlier this year, was named among the respondents in Ombudsman complaints over the flood control scandal — the same controversy that has already produced plunder charges against Senator Jinggoy Estrada and former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan. The Ombudsman complaints against Romualdez allege that he used his position as House Speaker to insert and protect flood control budget items that became vehicles for kickbacks, amounting to plunder, graft, money laundering, and direct and indirect bribery. No formal charges have been filed against him at the Sandiganbayan as of the date of this report; the cases remain at the complaint stage before the Ombudsman. **Context** The flood control corruption scandal — which centers on allegations of ghost projects, inflated contracts, and kickback schemes embedded in the Department of Public Works and Highways' flood mitigation budget — has resulted in charges against Estrada and Bonoan, with the Sandiganbayan already conducting arraignment proceedings against both. The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, now led by the Gatchalian-aligned majority following the ouster of Senate President Cayetano, has continued hearings on the scandal even as the chamber's leadership crisis played out. The visa revocation adds a foreign accountability dimension to a scandal that has so far been processed primarily through domestic institutions. Whether the US action will trigger further consequences — including possible asset scrutiny or expanded travel bans — has not been disclosed. Rappler first reported the visa cancellations on June 5. The Philippine Star and Inquirer independently confirmed the report through the Philippine ambassador. --- **Sources** - [US cancels Martin Romualdez's visas — Rappler](https://www.rappler.com/philippines/united-states-cancel-martin-romualdez-visa/) - [US cancels Romualdez's diplomatic, tourist visas — Philippine Star (Daphne Galvez)](https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2026/06/06/2533156/us-cancels-romualdezs-diplomatic-tourist-visas) - [US revokes former House Speaker Romualdez's visas, PH envoy confirms — Inquirer Global Nation](https://globalnation.inquirer.net/326286/us-revokes-former-house-speaker-romualdezs-visas-envoy-confirms) - [U.S. revokes Romualdez's diplomatic, tourist visa amid flood control probe: envoy — Tribune](https://tribune.net.ph/2026/06/05/us-revokes-romualdezs-diplomatic-tourist-visa-amid-flood-control-probe-envoy)