Duterte, Escudero accuse Romualdez of illegal gambling links, plotting impeachment

Metro Manila, Philippines - Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez on Monday faced back-to-back allegations from flood control kickbacks to illegal gambling and orchestrating impeachment - in a word war that has gone politically charged.

In separate instances on Monday, Sept. 29, Vice President Sara Duterte told reporters that Romualdez received money from illegal gambling, while Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero delivered a fiery plenary speech accusing his former counterpart of orchestrating political chaos.

Escudero was ousted as Senate president while Romualdez stepped down as House speaker, even as both were linked to flood control corruption.

Duterte said she was not surprised at Senate witness Orly Regala Guteza’s testimony that he delivered suitcases of cash to Romualdez’s houses.

She added that she had long known of Romualdez’s “corrupt activities” based on tips from an insider in his camp.

“Hindi lang sa flood control. Pati sa illegal gambling, tumatanggap sila… Si Martin Romualdez,” Duterte said in a press conference at the Senate.

[Translation: It goes beyond flood control. They get payoffs even in illegal gambling… Martin Romualdez.]

“Takot lahat kasi magsalita ngayon dahil syempre aabot ‘yun until the office of the President ba,” she said.

[Translation: People fear speaking out because the issue will reach the Office of the President.]

Asked if this meant President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was involved in his cousin Romualdez’s alleged kickbacks, Duterte only said the budget could not pass without the president’s signature. A tandem that swept the 2022 elections by a landslide, Marcos and Duterte have since gone separate ways politically.

Romualdez flatly denied the accusations, and questioned Duterte’s credibility.

“Diretsahan kong sasabihin: hindi totoo na ako’y tumatanggap mula sa ilegal na sugal,” he said.

[I will directly state: I am not receiving anything from illegal gambling.]

“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 [It is sad that the vice president herself, who was accused and impeached by the House because of fund mismanagement is spreading these lies]. When the source itself has lost credibility, why should anyone believe these baseless claims?” Romualdez added.

Duterte was at the Senate to defend her office’s proposed ₱903-million budget for 2026, which the finance committee swiftly approved out of interparliamentary courtesy.

Escudero hits back

At the plenary, Escudero again denied allegations he received flood control kickbacks and pointed to Romualdez as the mastermind behind efforts to divert attention from corrupt representatives to senators.

The Commission on Elections is probing the senator for campaign contributions from a government contractor who was in the list of companies mentioned by Marcos that bagged the most number of flood control projects nationwide.

“Iisang tao lamang, Ginoong Pangulo, ang nasa likod ng script at sarswelang ito. Siya ang dahilan ng kaguluhan, pagkaka-away-away, at pagkakawatak-watak na ngayo’y yumayanig sa ating bayan, maprotektahan lamang ang sarili niya,” Escudero said.

[Translation: Only one person was behind the script and drama. He was the cause of confusion, conflict, dissension that is rocking the nation just to protect himself.]

He then played a video of protesters chanting, “Martin, Martin, magnanakaw [thief]! Magnanakaw si Martin [Martin is a thief].”

Escudero said Guteza was the only whistleblower not directly involved in budget insertions or kickbacks, saying attempts to discredit him also came from Romualdez’s camp.

“Ang salaysay niya, Ginoong Pangulo ay kumpirmasyon ng matagal nang isinisiwalat nila Congressman Tiangco at Mayor Magalong kung sino ang ulo sa paglilimas sa kaban ng bayan na ating naririnig na rin,” he said.

[His testimony was a confirmation of what has long been disclosed by Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco and Baguio City Mayor Benjie Magalong on the mastermind behind the theft of the nation’s coffers that we have heard.]

Escudero also recalled Tiangco’s claim that Romualdez had pressured lawmakers to sign the impeachment complaint against Duterte in exchange for fund releases.

“Uulitin ko po: ginamit ni Martin Romualdez ang FLR at ang pangalan ng Pangulong Marcos— upang itulak ang kanilang unconstitutional na impeachment complaint,” he said.

[Translation: I will repeat: Martin Romualdez dangled the for later release (FLR) appropriations and name-dropped the president to push the unconstitutional impeachment complaint.]

“Hindi ito umubra dahil tinanggihan ito ni PBBM,” he added.

[Translation: This failed because the president rejected it.]

In a separate statement, Romualdez said Escudero’s remarks were a “DDS (diehard Duterte supporter) script.”

“The same recycled accusations we have long seen on troll pages and social media posts. Walang bago, at wala ring katotohanan [There was nothing new, and no truth],” he said.

“It was a performance designed to profess loyalty and service to Vice President Sara Duterte, and to position himself as her ally for 2028,” he added.

He said Escudero should have focused on explaining his supposed role in the flood control controversy.

Escudero has denied former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo’s claim that he received ₱160 million in kickbacks.