Former Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers on Saturday said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s categorical declaration that there is no evidence linking former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez to any flood control controversy has “finally ended all attempts to make him a political fall guy.”
Barbers, Romualdez’s chief political officer during the previous Congress, said the President’s clarification “pulverized the false narratives” circulated in recent weeks.
He said the President’s statement makes clear that “the fall guy narrative is over,” even as some groups may still attempt to draw Romualdez into the issue. Barbers stressed that now “the real work begins,” saying the President emphasized that truth and accountability must prevail.
He added that allegations should be based on clear and reliable evidence, not speculation, hearsay, or falsehoods.
Barbers said the probe should now shift to identifying “those truly involved in the anomalies,” supported by documents, receipts, contracts, and other verifiable records.
He welcomed the President’s remarks as a reset that clears political distractions from the ongoing review of flood control spending.
With Romualdez cleared, Barbers said investigators can finally “zero in on the real paper trail,” including project lists, budget insertions, contract issuances, and engineering validations. He said the President’s statement removes any smokescreen, allowing investigators to simply follow the documents and the fund trail.
Barbers noted that the only allegation against Romualdez came from Orly Guteza, whose credibility collapsed after a Manila court ruled that he falsified a lawyer’s signature on his affidavit.
Guteza also failed to appear at the Department of Justice to verify his claims and has since disappeared from public view. With no supporting witnesses or documents, Barbers said the accusation does not meet even the minimum standards of evidence.
