Romualdez-led Lakas-CMD fires back at Co, says ex-Speaker did not meddle in budget proceedings

Ruling party, Lakas–CMD, in the House of Representatives, maintained on Tuesday that there’s no strong evidence that could link its president, former speaker Martin Romualdez, to any irregularities in the 2025 budget as alleged by his former ally, Elizaldy Co. 

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

“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 Marcos Jr. and Romualdez of receiving P56 billion in kickbacks from P100 billion in alleged insertions in the 2025 General Appropriations Act. 

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

The party, however, rushed to the defense of its president, contending that Co’s damning accusations were mere hearsay, citing the absence of documentary proof, field validation, or forensic audit. 

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

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

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

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

The Romualdez-led 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 concluded.

The 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.