Vice President Sara Duterte speaks before her supporters after attending her arraignment of her three counts of grave threats charges at the Quezon City Hall of Justice on Friday, 11 September 2026.
Analy Labor
Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday sought to turn the government’s widening flood-control corruption scandal into a political liability for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., questioning whether his administration would hold accountable those who approved projects as well as those accused of receiving kickbacks.
At a rally in Quezon City, Duterte invoked the arrest of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, a Marcos ally and cousin, before renewing her call for the President to resign.
“Merong nag-apruba ng proyekto, merong nabigay ng pera sa mga kamay niya. Yan ang totoong drama,” she told supporters gathered at the Elliptical Road.
“Ang inilalagay lang sa kulungan ay ang sumulat ng project at ang nag-distribute ng pera. Ang nagbigay sa kanya ng pera, ang nag-approve ng project ay nasaan?” she added.
The Ombudsman on Monday filed a P7.44-billion plunder case against Romualdez and three others over alleged kickbacks from flood-control, infrastructure and other government projects. The Sandiganbayan subsequently issued an arrest warrant for Romualdez and the other accused, with no bail recommended.
The charges allege that he and former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co repeatedly received commissions, percentages, kickbacks and other financial benefits totaling at least P7.44 billion from contractors and other parties with interests in government projects funded between 2022 and 2025.
Duterte seized on the case to question where responsibility should ultimately fall in a corruption scandal involving billions of pesos in public funds.
“Pero ang nagbigay sa kanya ng pera, ang nag-approve ng project ay nasaan?” she said.
Malacañang has said Marcos will not shield anyone who should be held accountable, regardless of whether the person is a relative, political ally or opponent.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the President's position was that “whoever should be held accountable must be held accountable.”
Duterte said she was ashamed to remain as vice president while politicians with properties abroad could leave when communities flood, while ordinary Filipinos and their children would remain behind.
As for 9 September, data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council showed that a total of 9,614,020 had been affected by flooding.
Of the affected population, 162,057 people were displaced. The same report recorded 44 deaths,18 injured and five missing.
Nearly 10,000 projects worth more than P545 billion undertaken since Marcos assumed office in 2022 have come under scrutiny, with investigators finding projects that were allegedly substandard, overpriced or nonexistent.
Marcos has responded by promising accountability while also directing agencies to accelerate flood-control measures. Malacañang has acknowledged public frustration over widespread flooding and said the administration is updating flood-control master plans covering major river basins.
Against that backdrop, Duterte warned that corruption and abuse in government would have consequences for the next generation.
“Mga kababayan, ito ay hindi laban natin, kundi pakikipaglaban natin para sa ating mga anak. Tandaan ninyo, ang bumili ng pera ng mga bahay nila ay pera ng taong bayan,” she said.
“Sila ang lalangoy sa baha kung hindi natin tapusin ang korapsyon, ang pag-aabuso at pagsisinungaling,” Duterte added.
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