Malacañang has fired back at Vice President Sara Duterte after she dragged former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, a cousin of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., into fresh allegations of receiving kickbacks not only from flood control projects but also from illegal gambling operations.
According to reports, Romualdez’s name surfaced in a Delaware case in the United States in 2023, where he was allegedly mentioned as having intervened to help resolve a casino issue pending before the Supreme Court.
Romualdez has since denied any involvement, insisting that he was neither included nor investigated in the case.
“Siya naman po ay abogado, dapat malaman niya ang pagkakaiba ng na-mention at ang conviction,” Palace Press Officer Usec. Claire Castro said in a press briefing.
She added, “Nakita po natin ito pero wala rin pong mention na si Speaker Romualdez or si Rep. Romualdez ay guilty.”
Castro went further, pointing out that Duterte herself has also been linked to questionable transactions in the past.
“Siya po mismo, ang Bise Presidente, name-mention din sa mga diumano’y maanomalyang transaksyon, dapat po ba natin syang husgahan katulad ng ginagawa nya ngayon sa ibang mga mambabatas?” Castro remarked.