House public works panel chair faces plunder raps

MANILA, Philippines — Members of civil society groups from Surigao del Sur yesterday filed graft and plunder complaints against the chairman of the House committee on public works and highways in connection with the questionable award of P1.4 billion in government projects to a company allegedly tied to the lawmaker’s family.

The groups – composed of lawyers, residents and prelates of the Diocese of Tandag – said that Rep. Romeo Momo Sr. of the first district of Surigao del Sur, along with some officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Commission on Audit, abused their positions when they awarded contracts to the Surigao La Suerte Corp.

Momo is also a member of the bicameral conference committee for the 2026 national budget.   

Citing records from the Securities and Exchange Commission, the complainants said Momo was a former member of the board of Surigao La Suerte Corp., and his relatives hold positions in the company.

The complaint was filed before the Office of the Ombudsman.

“The Momo family did not only violate their oath of office, but orchestrated a scheme to divert public funds to their private business,” the complaint read.

“This deliberate misuse of offices to channel public resources into private hands constitutes plunder, a continuing raid of the people’s treasury for personal gain,” it said.

Momo said the charges against him were baseless.

The complainants said the scheme was reportedly carried out by members of the bids and awards committee, the technical working group and by officials of the DPWH who approved and signed the contracts.

They said the respondents conspired to defraud the people of the right to honest and transparent governance.