A Philippine anti-graft court ordered the arrest of Martin Romualdez, a former House speaker and cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, over allegations that he collected about $118 million in illicit payments from government flood-control projects. The Office of the Ombudsman says Romualdez amassed about 7.4 billion pesos from commissions, commitment fees, bribes and other payments linked to projects awarded between 2022 and 2025. Romualdez, who served as House speaker from 2022 to 2025 and was a key Marcos ally, denies wrongdoing. His lawyer, Ade Fajardo, said he would face the allegations in court and asked for the same due process and fair hearing guaranteed to every Filipino. The case has intensified scrutiny as monsoon rains inundate parts of the disaster-prone country, while alleged irregularities have fueled public anger online. Marcos said last year that 545 billion pesos in flood-control spending from 2022-2025 was riddled with alleged irregularities and promised a comprehensive investigation. Dozens of officials have resigned or been dismissed, including the president's executive secretary and the budget and public works ministers; two senators, a former senator and at least eight public works officials have been detained. Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said the case was based on evidence and was not directed selectively at any individual. Plunder is generally a non-bailable offence under Philippine law. University of the Philippines political science professor Jean Encinas-Franco called the arrest order a step in the right direction that could challenge perceptions of selective enforcement by the Marcos administration.