Vice President Sara Duterte and Senators Francis Escudero and Rodante Marcoleta took turns at hitting Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, linking him to illegal gambling as well as deflecting the flood-control mess narrative to target the Senate – accusations that the former Speaker said were baseless and part of a plan to prop up certain politicians ahead of the 2028 presidential polls.
Romualdez said Escudero’s accusation that he orchestrated a “script” to shift the blame to senators was “not an exposé but a DDS script,” referring to the Duterte Die-hard Supporters acronym.
“This is clear: The speech of Sen. Escudero was not about accountability, but to advance his personal ambition,” he said.
Romualdez said Escudero’s tactic “was a performance designed to profess loyalty and service to Vice President Sara Duterte, and to position himself as her ally for 2028…He serves not the search for truth but his self-interest and political plans.”
“For my part, I will continue to cooperate with every impartial investigation. My record can withstand scrutiny. I’m not hiding anything. As for Sen. Escudero, if he is truly searching for accountability, sa presinto siya magpaliwanag,” Romualdez said.
He likewise denied the accusations leveled against him by Duterte, who said in a press conference at the Senate yesterday that she received information that Romualdez allegedly benefitted not just from flood-control projects but from illegal gambling as well.
“These stories about ‘suitcases of cash’ are pure fiction – outright figments of their imagination. It is easy to point fingers, to invent baseless accusations, but they cannot prove it as the truth. Until today, no evidence has been presented against me — just hearsay repeated over and over again,” Romualdez said.
He said it was unfortunate that the Vice President, who he said was impeached by the House for alleged misuse of public funds, “has been peddling lies.”
“When the source itself has lost credibility, why should anyone believe these baseless claims?” he said.
Earlier in the day, Escudero claimed Romualdez was behind the testimonies of three former DPWH officials who have since identified senators that benefitted from kickbacks from flood-control projects.
“It is very clear what the script is: pressure the three former DPWH officials, make them talk, get them to mention a senator’s name, while covering up for the congressmen who were their real accomplices in the areas where the projects took place,” Escudero said.
“He is the reason for the chaos, the quarrels, and the divisions now shaking our nation, all to protect himself. His name has long been whispered in every corner of the country, but now the people are beginning to shout it out loud,” the senator said.
Escudero is among the senators named in flood control anomalies. He was also the recipient of P30 million in campaign contribution from contractor Centerways Construction and Development Inc., a Sorsogon-based firm that bagged P5.16 billion worth of flood-control projects from 2021 to 2024 and was named by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as among the top 15 flood-control contractors.
Like Escudero, Marcoleta also used his privilege speech in the Senate to challenge colleagues he claimed were wary of Romualdez.
