Malacañang on Tuesday challenged Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero to back his accusations against Leyte 1st District Representative and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez with solid proof, instead of relying solely on speeches.
The Palace’s statement came after Escudero, in a privilege speech on September 29, accused Romualdez of orchestrating a “script” that dragged several senators into the alleged plunder of funds from anomalous flood control projects. Escudero also questioned why President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s cousin has not been included in ongoing investigations despite his name repeatedly surfacing in congressional hearings.
“Kung iyan ang kaniyang napapansin at nakikita, malamang hindi naman din yan ang napapansin ng iba,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said during a Malacañang press briefing.
“Hindi nadadaan sa magandang talumpati, hindi nadadaan sa pagtuturo ang pagpapanagot sa mga umabuso ng pondo kung hindi sa pamamagitan ng sapat na ebidensya,” she stressed.
“Sa ngayon, lahat ng naituturo, lahat ng nababanggit na pangalan, dapat nating ikunsidera na inosente. They should be presumed innocent until proven guilty,” Castro added.
The Palace official emphasized that any evidence on Romualdez’s alleged involvement must be formally brought before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).
“Ang ICI naman po ay isang independent commission na maaaring tumingin sa evidence, facts, records para matumbok kung sino ang dapat mapanagot. Let us go to where the evidence leads us,” she said.
In his speech, Escudero alleged that Romualdez’s “script” pushed three former DPWH officials into naming senators as a smokescreen to shield members of the House of Representatives from the corruption scandal.