Lakas defends Martin, calls allegations hearsay

The ruling party in the House of Representatives, Lakas-CMD, maintained on Tuesday that there was no evidence to link its president, former Speaker Martin Romualdez, to any irregularities in the 2025 national budget as alleged by his former ally, former Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Elizaldy Co.

The party said it could vouch for Romualdez, affirming that he never meddled in the internal workings and technical matters of the House committee on appropriations and the bicameral conference committee, the two panels mandated to draft and finalize the national budget, respectively.

“He did not participate in the preparation, negotiation, or endorsement of individual projects, nor did he engage in dealings related to contractors or allocations,” read the statement of the 109-strong party in the lower chamber.

“Attempts to drag his name into the controversy have relied heavily on shifting narratives and claims aired in venues where they are not tested, examined, or supported by documentation,” it added.

Co, who chaired the appropriations panel in the previous Congress, released a series of video exposés accusing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Romualdez of allegedly receiving P56 billion in kickbacks from P100 billion in insertions in the 2025 General Appropriations Act.

Co, who is in hiding abroad, claimed he never received a centavo in kickbacks and was only made to do the insertions. The resigned lawmaker also insinuated that Romualdez threatened to “shoot me if I talk” as far back as March and that the former speaker reiterated the warning in subsequent phone calls after Marcos’ State of the Nation Address in July.

The party also came to the President’s defense, claiming Co’s serious accusations were merely hearsay and pointing out the lack of documentary evidence, field verification, or a forensic audit.

“Justice cannot be based on speculation. Noise cannot be a basis for truth. Lakas-CMD rejects the efforts to weaponize allegations for political ends or to draw individuals into controversies where their names do not belong,” the party said.

Romualdez has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and vowed to cooperate with the investigative bodies and proper authorities tasked with uncovering the truth in the multibillion-peso flood control scandal linked to the 2025 budget.

Marcos countered by saying he “won’t dignify” Co’s allegations, while Romualdez reiterated that his conscience “remains clear” and the imputations of his formerly close ally “will not hold water in a court of law.”

“We are not running from anyone. But we will not tolerate efforts to malign us either,” the party said in Filipino.

Lakas-CMD affirmed that they remained solidly behind the President, maintaining that allegations aired outside formal proceedings carry no weight unless they are sworn testimony, undergo cross-examination, and are documented.

“There is no ‘green light’ for corruption from PBBM. His directives throughout the budget process have always been clear: follow the law, uphold accountability, and ensure that funds serve the Filipino people,” the party said.

Lakas-CMD is among the five major political parties that comprise the so-called supermajority in the House, which supports the President’s political agenda.