In a sharp pivot against his own cousin’s administration, former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez has launched a scathing critique of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., citing systemic corruption within the executive branch.
The outburst followed the Office of the Ombudsman’s decision to deny Romualdez’s motion for travel, which would have allowed him to fly to Singapore for a scheduled angioplasty surgery.
Focus on Executive Responsibility
Addressing the recent controversies surrounding “budget insertions” in the 2025 national budget and questionable flood control projects, Romualdez argued that the legislative branch is being unfairly scapegoated.
He asserted that the true “magnitude” of corruption occurs during the implementation phase, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Office of the President.
“If corruption were to occur, in a magnitude made known to us over the past months, then it’s clear that real corruption does not happen at the level of general legislative approval alone. It happens at the level of execution of the General Appropriations Act. It happens when projects are implemented,” Romualdez stated.
The former Speaker emphasized that the principle of command responsibility is more applicable to the President than to lawmakers, given the structure of the Philippine government.
“That is why command responsibility is far more logically relevant in the executive branch, where there is actual supervision, operational control, and implementation on the ground, than in a collegial legislative body whose constitutional role is deliberation and appropriation.”
”I Know Many Things”
The lawmaker, who has recently been linked to what some describe as the largest corruption scandals in the nation’s history, did not stop at criticizing the current leadership.
He issued a veiled warning, suggesting he holds sensitive information regarding both the Marcos and Duterte administrations.
“I know many things about this current administration and past administrations as well,” Romualdez warned.
Context and Silence from Malacañang
The rift marks a significant fracture in the “Uniteam” alliance and the broader Marcos-Romualdez political ties. Despite the gravity of the accusations and the personal nature of the attacks, Malacañang has yet to issue an official response to the lawmaker’s statements.
Romualdez remains under scrutiny as investigations continue into his alleged involvement in high-profile anomalies involving public funds.