Vice President Sara Duterte has accused former House Speaker Martin Romualdez of receiving payoffs from illegal gambling operations, on top of the alleged flood control anomalies that pushed him to step down from the speakership earlier this month.
“Hindì lang sa flood control, ma’am. Pati sa illegal gambling. Tumatanggap sila,” Duterte said on Monday, while refusing to identify her sources. She stressed that allegations of money deliveries to Romualdez were not new, adding that she had long heard reports of cash-filled suitcases.
“Simula pa lang noong pagpasok namin as President and Vice President, naririnig na namin yung delivery ng mga pera na nakalagay sa mga suitcases,” she said. Duterte pointed to previous controversies, including the Okada casino issue and a State of Delaware case in the United States, where Romualdez’s name was mentioned. “So ganun talaga yung modus nila,” she remarked.
Romualdez, however, firmly denied the claims. “Diretsahan kong sasabihin: hindi totoo na ako’y tumatanggap mula sa ilegal na sugal,” he said in a statement, dismissing the stories about suitcases of cash as “pure fiction.”
He argued that there has never been any evidence presented to support the accusations. “Madaling magturo, madaling mag-imbento — pero ang katotohanan, hindi kayang patunayan. Until today, wala pa ring ipinakitang ebidensya — puro sabi-sabi lang na inuulit-ulit,” he added.
Romualdez also rejected any link to the Okada and Delaware cases, calling them business disputes unrelated to him. “Malinaw: hindi ako kasali, hindi ako iniimbestigahan, at hindi ako akusado,” he said.
Taking aim at the vice president, he said: “Nakakalungkot na ang mismong Bise Presidente, na inakusahan at na-impeach ng House dahil sa maling paggamit ng pondo, ay siya pang nagkakalat ng ganitong kasinungalingan.”
Romualdez resigned as Speaker on September 17 following mounting corruption allegations, though he maintained his conscience was clear and said he stepped aside to allow an independent probe. Isabela Rep. Faustino “Bojie” Dy III has since been elected as his replacement.
Duterte also said her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, has been “distressed” over the flood control scandal. She reiterated her warning against leaders abusing government institutions for personal gain, saying corruption continues to derail the nation’s progress.
When asked about coup rumors targeting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after the September 21 rallies, Duterte denied involvement. “Wala sa akin. Baka sila-sila lang gusto maging president,” she said.
