Speaker Martin Romualdez is reportedly stepping down from his post, with multiple sources confirming that the move is already in motion — and it may have everything to do with the brewing scandal over questionable flood control budget insertions.
According to insiders, Romualdez was expected to resign on Tuesday, with Isabela Rep. Faustino “Bojie” Dy III set to take his place. But instead of showing up at the House for the brief 30-minute session, Romualdez was said to be in Malacañang — a notable absence at a time when leadership transition talks are heating up.
Romualdez’s tenure as Speaker has been anything but smooth in recent months. While he initially held the House together with a firm grip and enjoyed the trust of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his leadership has increasingly been called into question.
At the heart of the controversy: massive budget insertions, particularly in flood control projects, which critics claim were riddled with irregularities and favoritism.
The issue has sparked growing discontent both inside and outside the House. Lawmakers have been quietly grumbling about the disproportionate distribution of funds, with some districts receiving billions while others were left scrambling for resources.
The recent scandal over how those funds were inserted — and who ultimately benefited — appears to have tipped the balance against Romualdez.
Rep. Dy, one of Romualdez’s deputies and a key ally of President Marcos Jr., is widely seen as the next in line. A senior member of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas and a known protégé of the President, Dy has remained tight-lipped. His office declined to comment when reached by the DAILY TRIBUNE.
While there’s been no official announcement yet, the signs are hard to ignore. Reports said the Speaker’s personal belongings, including his desk template were removed Tuesday evening,
If confirmed, Romualdez’s resignation would mark a dramatic fall from power for one of the most influential figures in Congress — and a clear sign that the House is now feeling the aftershocks of the budget and flood control scandals.
There had been earlier moves to unseat Speaker Martin Romualdez even before the 20th Congress began. At the time, he managed to consolidate support and hold on to power. Among those rumored to have eyed the speakership were Rep. Albee Benitez, Rep. Toby Tiangco, and Rep. Duke Frasco.
So why the change now?
Romualdez’s exit comes amid growing public outrage over his alleged ties to the multi-billion-peso flood control scandal. He was among the lawmakers named by contractors Curlee and Sarah Discaya, who claimed that certain House members had received kickbacks from flood control projects.
The pressure — both from within Congress and from the public — had clearly reached a boiling point.
The Discaya couple, owners of nine construction firms linked to allegations of substandard and “ghost” flood mitigation projects, claimed the commissions ensured the timely release and smooth implementation of their projects.
Aside from Romualdez, the Discayas also accused his key ally, Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, and 16 other lawmakers and public works and highways officials of forcing them into giving kickbacks in exchange for government contracts.
Romualdez, Co, and their colleagues firmly denied the allegations, with the Speaker emphasizing that project implementations fell under the jurisdiction of executive agencies like the DPWH, not Congress.
Senator Panfilo Lacson earlier claimed that 67 House members in the previous Congress had complete control over the project funds because either they or their relatives were the contractors for the government’s flood mitigation program.
Apart from members of the House, Senators Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada were also implicated in the corruption scheme, allegedly receiving at least 30 percent kickbacks.
Tiangco off the list
Amid speculation over the potential successors to Romualdez, Tiangco revealed that he declined his colleagues’ suggestions to reconsider a bid for the speakership, even chairing the influential Appropriations Committee, which reviews and approves the annual national budget.
“Last week, they were asking me if I would reconsider [running for Speaker], but I already said no. They shouldn’t include me because it doesn’t look good, right? I was the most vocal about this issue. They might say I just used the issue to become Speaker,” Tiangco told reporters in an interview.
The Navotas lawmaker said a temporary replacement for Romualdez would accomplish little unless there was a broad reshuffle of positions, including deputy speakers and chairpersons of “sensitive” committees such as the appropriations panel.
Last week, Tiangco revealed that talk of a coup against Romualdez had been gaining traction since the first week of September, though lawmakers supportive of the move were reluctant to act, fearing they may fall short of a majority backing.