Chiz blasts Romualdez’ ‘sarswela, script’ to divert flood control mess

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Monday blasted former House Speaker Martin Romualdez for allegedly orchestrating a “script and sarswela” designed to deflect public outrage over anomalous flood control projects away from the House of Representatives and its members.

In his manifestation at the Senate plenary session, Escudero challenged what he called a coordinated campaign to make senators the scapegoats in the wake of emerging testimonies about ghost and substandard flood control projects in the country, which he said were originally flagged in 2023 and 2024.

“Iisang tao lamang, Ginoong Pangulo, ang nasa likod ng script at sarswelang ito (There can only be one person here, Mr. President, who’s behind the script and zarzuela),” Escudero said.

“Siya ang dahilan ng kaguluhan, pagkakaaway-away, at pagkakawatak-watak na ngayo’y yumayanig sa ating bayan, maprotektahan lamang ang sarili niya sa sarswela (He’s the one responsible for the chaos, the clashes, and the division shaking our country, all to protect his own zarzuela),” he added.

Escudero also accused Romualdez of using testimonies from detained Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials to deliberately name-drop senators in order to shield congressmen allegedly involved in the misuse of billions in public funds.

Escudero lamented that the true culprits are using diversionary tactics to avoid accountability.

“Kapag nagturo ka ng daliri sa iba, may tatlong daliri na nakaturo pabalik sa’yo (If you point one finger at others, three of your fingers will point back at you),” he said.

“Banggit sila nang banggit, name-drop sila nang name-drop ng pangalan ng mga senador, maski na klarong wala silang masabing direktang nakausap o binigyan ng anuman (They keep dropping names of senators, even though it’s clear they had no direct contact or were given nothing),” he added.

Escudero cited the case of Master Sgt. Orly Regala Guteza, who testified under oath that he personally delivered 35 suitcases containing P1.7 billion in cash to Romualdez’s residence.

But despite all this, Escudero said it is strange that Romualdez “has never been included in any investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), or even scrutinized by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

“Ganito ba katindi ang kapangyarihang hawak ni Martin Romualdez? Na bagaman hindi siya Speaker, tila ‘Da Name That Cannot Be Mentioned’ pa rin siya, at nagagawa pa niya ang nais niya kaugnay sa isang mapamiling hustisya o selective justice? (Is Martin Romualdez’s power really this strong? Even though he is not Speaker, he still seems untouchable, able to act according to his will under selective justice),” he asked.

Unlike other witnesses, Escudero emphasized that Guteza never sought immunity or protection, making his testimony, in the senator’s view, more credible.

“Hindi ba’t si Ginoong Guteza lamang ang bukod-tanging testigo na walang kinalaman at hindi sangkot sa flood control issue, at walang hininging immunity, deal o proteksyon kapalit ng kaniyang pagtestigo? (Isn’t it true that Mr. Guteza is the only witness not involved in the flood control issue who did not ask for immunity, deals, or protection in exchange for his testimony?),” Escudero stressed.

“Siya ang kauna-unahang nagtestigo na personal na naghatid ng pera sa bahay mismo ni Martin Romualdez! (He is the first and only person to testify that he personally delivered money directly to Martin Romualdez!),” he added.

Why senators only?

Further, Escudero criticized what he called “selective justice,” questioning why no investigation or freeze order has been issued against Romualdez or any other congressmen named in the testimonies.

He argued that while senators are swiftly subjected to public scrutiny and legal action, congressmen, except for Rep. Zaldy Co, appear to enjoy immunity.

“Bakit hiniling agad ang freeze order para sa assets ng mga ni-name drop na senador? Pero, maliban kay Congressman Zaldy Co na mukhang nilaglag na nila, ni isang congressman, walang request para sa freeze order? Pagdating naman kay Martin Romualdez na dineliveran ng bilyong piso sa bahay niya mismo, ang sabi ay ‘will work on it’ lang? (Why was a freeze order immediately requested for the assets of the senators named, but except for Congressman Zaldy Co, no request was made for any congressman? When it comes to Martin Romualdez, who had billions delivered to his home, the response was merely ‘will work on it’?),” he said.

Escudero recalled his 2023 push to reduce the flood control budget and reallocate funds to agriculture, a move he claimed angered Romualdez and Co.

He asserted that this decision contributed to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s veto of parts of the 2024 and 2025 budgets and to the removal of Co from his position as chair of the House Appropriations Committee.

“Hindi malayong, Ginoong Pangulo, naganap din ang mga ito noong 2023 at 2024 at mga nauna pang budget kung saan ay napakaraming ghost at substandard projects ayon kay Sec. Vince Dizon at ayon mismo sa talumpati ng ating kasamahan na si Senator Ping Lacson (It is not surprising, Mr. President, that these also happened in 2023 and 2024, and in previous budgets, where many ghost and substandard projects were reported according to Sec. Vince Dizon and Senator Ping Lacson),” he said.

“Ngunit marahil ay walang naglakas-loob na sabihin ang katotohanan kay Pangulong Marcos, o magsumbong sa kaniya kaugnay sa ilang mga bagay na ito bago ako (But perhaps no one dared to tell the truth to President Marcos or report these matters before I did),” he added.

Romualdez behind Sara’s impeachment?

Escudero further accused Romualdez of using the now-dismissed impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte as political leverage.

“Ginamit ni Martin Romualdez ang FLR—at ang pangalan ng Pangulong Marcos—upang itulak ang kanilang unconstitutional na impeachment complaint. Sabi nila: pumirma kayo! Dahil kung hindi, hindi ilalabas ang inyong pondo na naka-FLR bago mag-eleksyon (Martin Romualdez used the FLR—and President Marcos’s name—to push their unconstitutional impeachment complaint. They said: sign it! Otherwise, your FLR funds will not be released before the election),” he said.

According to Escudero, the controversial complaint was used as a bargaining chip to unfreeze congressmen’s funds under “for late release (FLR).”

“Nais ko din pong kumpirmahin ang sinabi ni Congressman Toby Tiangco—na ang pag-file ng impeachment complaint laban kay Vice-President Sara Duterte ay ginamit na paraan ni Speaker Romualdez para mag-release ng pondo nila na naka-FLR o ‘for late release’ bago mag-eleksyon, maski na alam niya na hindi ito kayang talakayin ng Senado hanggang sa Hunyo mula noong simula (I also want to confirm Congressman Toby Tiangco’s statement—that filing the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte was used by Speaker Romualdez to release their FLR funds before the election, even though he knew the Senate could not discuss it until June),” he said.

He lamented how Romualdez and Co. were blamed for the FLR of their supposed project funds, the dismissal of the VP’s impeachment complaint, and foiled 2025 budget insertions.

“Sinisi po sa akin ni Speaker Romualdez ang pagkakatanggal kay Congressman Zaldy Co; sinisi po niya sa akin ang pag-FLR o for late release ng kanilang mga proyekto; sinisi po niya rin sa akin ang pag-dismiss sa impeachment complaint laban kay VP Sara na nakikita niyang makakatunggali niya sa susunod na halalan; at sinisi rin niya sa akin ang pagkakasira ng kanilang maitim na balak sa 2025 budget, na nagawa nila nang walang balakid ng mga nagdaang taon (Speaker Romualdez blamed me for Congressman Zaldy Co’s removal; for the FLR of their projects; for the dismissal of the impeachment complaint against VP Sara, whom he sees as a future rival; and for the derailment of their dark plans for the 2025 budget, which they managed to carry out without obstacles in past years),” he said.

The former Senate President stressed he had been honest and done what was best for the country and the Filipino people.

“Subalit, sa kabila po nito, nagsimula na ang lahat ng bira, paninira, at kaso laban sa akin at sa Senado. At ang nasa likod ng lahat ng ito ay walang iba kundi si Martin Romualdez (Yet despite this, all the attacks, smear campaigns, and cases against me and the Senate have begun, and behind all of these is none other than Martin Romualdez),” he said.

“Ika nga ni Mayor Magalong, na ngayon lamang sinisiraan: bakit ko ba nilabanan at binisto sila Speaker Romualdez mula noon hanggang ngayon, kung kasabwat at kasapakat nila ako? Hindi ko po gagawin ‘yon (As Mayor Magalong said, now being targeted: why would I oppose and expose Speaker Romualdez from then until now if I were in cahoots with them? I would not do that),” he added.

I’m not with Romualdez—Chiz

Escudero declared he will not be part of what he described as Romualdez’s scheme to divide the government and the nation.

“Ako? Hindi ako kakampi ni Martin Romualdez. Kaya lalabanan ko siya at lahat ng panglilinlang niya (Me? I am not allied with Martin Romualdez. That is why I will oppose him and all his deceptions),” Escudero declared.

The senator urged the Senate to resist being “used and manipulated,” warning against the ongoing “weaponization of justice” and the erosion of institutional integrity.