Former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez, through his lawyer, denied claims that he met government contractors Sarah and Curlee Discaya and used them as fronts to buy a property in an upscale Makati subdivision.
Atty. Ade Fajardo, Romualdez’s lawyer and spokesperson, said his client “has no knowledge nor involvement in the purported transaction.”
“Rep. Romualdez has not met the Discayas and has only heard of them based on what is being said in media reports. As such, the claim in the report about using the Discayas as a front in a property purchase is outright baseless,” Fajardo said.
In September 2025, Curlee Discaya testified before the House of Representatives that he had no direct dealings with Romualdez.
“Gusto ko lang pong linawin na wala po akong direktang transaksyon. Hindi po ako nagkaroon ng anumang klaseng transaksyon kay Speaker Martin Romualdez,” Discaya said.
Fajardo added: “Mr. Discaya further explained that the Speaker’s name was merely being used or name-dropped by others, without any personal knowledge, meeting, or transaction on his part. This sworn testimony is part of the official congressional record and directly contradicts the insinuations now being revived in public discourse.”
He emphasized that “allegations cannot override testimony given under oath. Facts cannot be replaced by speculation. To quote Senator Lacson in the earlier media briefing, ‘Noise does not convict. Neither does it indict even who may be perceived as the most guilty in the… flood control project saga. Only evidence does’.”
Fajardo said Romualdez “respects institutional processes and is confident that any fair and evidence-based inquiry will ultimately prove him right.”