Vice President Sara Duterte said she has long been aware of alleged money deliveries to former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

"Matagal naman na naming alam yan dahil matagal na yang pinag-uusapan. Simula pa lang nung pagpasok namin simula pa lang pagpasok namin as president and vice president, naririnig na namin yung delivery ng pera na nakalagay sa suitcases (We've known about it for a long time because it's been talked about for a long time. Ever since we came into the office as president and vice president, we've been hearing about the delivery of money in suitcases)," Duterte said in a press briefing on Monday, 29 Sept.

"Ngayon lang siya lumabas in public dahil mayroong witness ang nagsabi na siya mismo ang nagdadala ng suitcases na yun. Hindi siya odd for Martin Romualdez because he was already involved in heavy luggage in Okada (It only came out in the public today because there was a witness who said that he personally delivered those suitcases. It is not odd for Martin Romualdez because he was already involved in heavy luggage in Okada)," Duterte added.

The Vice President cited the alleged bribery case of Romualdez in a court in the United States.

"Kung maalala ninyo doon sa State of Delaware Case sa America, nabanggit na yung pangalan niya doon. Nabanggit na rin yung pangalan niya doon na tumatanggap ng pera na nakalagay sa luggages. So ganun na talaga yung modus nila (If you remember in the State of Delaware Case in America, his name was mentioned there. His name was also mentioned there receiving money placed in luggages. So that's exactly their modus operandi)," she said.

The bribery claim against Romualdez stemmed from the ownership dispute between Tiger Resort Asia Limited, a subsidiary of Universal Entertainment (UE), and 26 Capital Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company incorporated in Delaware. The case reached the Delaware Court of Chancery on 25 August 2023 after a failed merger.

26 Capital requested a decree of specific performance to allow the merger, but it was not granted by the court. The case closed on 7 September 2023.

In its testimony, 26 Capital said UE gave Romualdez a “heavy luggage” carrying an “item” in exchange for his intervention in the ownership takeover of Okada on 27 July 2022.

Court documents said Okada executives approached Romualdez after receiving “no response” from the Supreme Court regarding its “extremely urgent motion for reconsideration” dated 2 May 2022, and a supplement filed on 9 June 2022, to regain control.

Romualdez earlier denied the bribery allegations. He also said he was “never contacted” to appear in the US court.