Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Monday acknowledged during a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing that testimony presented by witnesses was insufficient to implicate former Speaker Martin Romualdez, effectively conceding that no evidence has been established against Romualdez.
“I repeat, this is not enough. This information is not enough to implicate the former Speaker, not even to suggest his involvement. We may only consider this as a lead because there is an alleged connection, but of course Curlee Discaya denied it, so let us leave it at that,” Lacson said during the hearing.
Earlier in the proceedings, Curlee Discaya denied the allegations attributed to him, telling the Senate that they had never entered South Forbes Park and did not even know what the houses there looked like.
The statements were made following testimony from two witnesses identified as staff of a former tenant of a South Forbes Park property, who claimed that Discaya introduced himself as a contractor, mentioned Romualdez as the buyer, and allegedly asked occupants to vacate the premises.
As of the hearing, no deed of sale, contract, or payment record naming Romualdez has been presented before the committee. Records also show that Romualdez was not the tenant, not the owner, and not a party to any transaction involving the property.
The Senate inquiry arose from a dispute involving a non-renewed lease.
Lacson’s remarks placed on record that the information provided by the witnesses did not meet the threshold to implicate the former Speaker, particularly in light of Discaya’s sworn denial.
Lawyer Ade Fajardo, spokesperson for former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, on Monday dismissed the allegations aired during the Senate hearing, saying they collapse under sworn testimony and the absence ofdocumentary proof.
Fajardo said contractor Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya testified under oath that he has never entered South Forbes Park, undercutting claims by two Senate witnesses, identified only as “Joy” and “Marie,” that he approached anyone there or issued instructions related to the property.
“The allegations aired in the Senate are logically and physically impossible,” Fajardo said. “Curlee Discaya testified under oath that he has never entered South Forbes Park, making it impossible for him to have approached anyone there or issued any instruction.”
He added that the accusations trace back solely to the staff of an evicted tenant and are not supported by documents, noting that Romualdez’s name appears in no deed, contract, or payment record related to the property.
Fajardo said the record leaves nothing to respond to, stressing that allegations raised in public hearings must be tested against sworn testimony and verifiable records, and that conjecture without documents does not amount to proof.
