Romer Butuyan 
MATAPOS ang halos isang taon, tuluyan nang binasag ni dating House Speaker Martin Romualdez ang pananahimik sa mga alegasyon kaugnay ng dambuhalang eskandalo sa pondo ng gobyerno.
Sa isang mensahe kasunod ng pagharang ng Office of the Ombudsman sa kanyang biyahe patungo sa Singapore para sa panibagong pagsusuri matapos sumailalim sa maselang operasyon, pinangalanan ni Romualdez ang aniya’y puno’t dulo ng flood control scandal.
Partikular na tinukoy ni Romualdez sina dating Senate President Francis Escudero at nagbitiw na Ako Bicol partylist Rep. Zaldy Co na umano’y nagmanipula ng 2025 General Appropriations Budget.
“For a long time, I chose to remain silent. I did so out of respect for the legal process. I did so because I did not want to add more noise to an already deeply politicized and divisive issue. I did so because I believed that if I cooperated fully, submitted myself to the proper authorities, and answered every question asked of me, the truth would eventually speak for itself,” wika ni Romualdez.
“But there comes a point when silence is no longer prudence. My silence has been abused and weaponized to build a narrative that is false, twisted, and unfair. So let me be clear: I will not keep quiet anymore. I will face this head-on, and I will speak with facts, because the truth deserves to be heard,” dugtong niya.
“Today, I am taking this opportunity to speak directly to the Filipino people.”
Sa simula pa lamang aniya ng kontrobersya, pinili niyang makipag tulungan at personal humarap sa binuo ni Independent Commission for Infrastructure na sadyang nilikha bilang fact-finding body.
“I provided the information and documents asked of me. I did not hide. I did not run. I did not evade scrutiny. I faced it head-on, within the proper channel, because I know there is no evidence that proves I committed plunder, conspiracy to commit plunder, or any similar offense that the Ombudsman may be contemplating against me,” aniya.
Dahil wala naman umano siyang itinatago, nagpasya ang dating lider ng Kamara isapubliko ang kanyang affidavit, kasama ang mga supporting information para mapagtanto ng sambayanan kung sino ang “transparent” at kung sino ang “politically targeted.”
“Now let us address the most absurd accusation of all: that I am supposedly the ‘mastermind’ of this corruption scheme. How can I be the mastermind?”
“Here’s the simplest way to test the theory that I am the mastermind of this scheme: If I were truly involved in a fraudulent scheme of this nature, then the first place one would expect to see that pattern would be in my own district, in the projects most easily associated with me. You would have seen it in Tacloban. But I say this with absolute certainty: you won’t see it in my district. My district has zero ghost and zero substandard flood control projects. Zero. And that is verifiable,” punto ni Romualdez.
“To prove this point, I am authorizing my staff to share and release to the public the list of all the projects in my district that the authorities may deem attributable to me. Let the public scrutinize and verify for themselves.”
Paliwanag ni Romualdez, siya na naging former Speaker ng House of Representative, hindi lamang ang kanilang institusyon ang may kinalaman sa pagpasa ng national budget
“The national budget is not conceived, executed, implemented, bid out, supervised, and completed by one Congressman or even by Congress alone. And certainly not by the Speaker of the House,” giit niya.
“I want to make this simple and clear. The national budget does not depend on just one person. The budget does not begin in the House. It begins in the Executive. The agencies prepare their proposals, the Executive consolidates them into the National Expenditure Program, and that program is then submitted to Congress,” dagdag pa niya.
“From there, the House deliberates. But the House is not one person, and it is certainly not the Speaker alone. It is a collegial body made up of hundreds of members, multiple committees, vice chairs, and institutional processes. In fact, there are around 85 committees, each with its own jurisdiction, leadership, and members. No speaker can personally control every committee, much less direct the actions of other branches or government agencies,” aniya.
Sa ilalim pa lamang ng Appropriations Committee na nagrerebisa sa proposed national budget, mahigit 100 na miyembro – kabilang si Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco na higit na kilalang kritiko ni Romualdez.
“Representative Toby Tiangco, who has been very vocal and upfront about this issue over the past months, was himself a vice chair of the Appropriations Committee in the previous Congress. So I have to ask: if there were real concerns about irregularities in the budget process, why were these not formally raised during deliberations, or even during the plenary?” bulalas ni Romualdez.
Bukod sa Kamara, meron di aniyang sariling budget deliberation sa Senado at nabuo nilang bersyon ay tatalakayin at pag-iisahin sa sa Bicameral conference committee na binubuo ng mga senador at kongresista.
“With respect to how the budget was deliberated in Congress, let me say this categorically: I was not a part of the BiCam and the Small Committee budget deliberations. Yes, I was updated on the general outcomes of the deliberations, but I had no visibility with regard to the specific details of the discussions, including the particular amendments or insertions approved during these closed-door deliberations,” dagdag ni Romualdez.
“Records would show that I did not participate in those meetings and I was not privy to what exactly transpired during the deliberations. However, two people were instrumental in making those budget decisions: Chiz Escudero and Zaldy Co,” aniya pa.
Ayon kay Romualdez, kung mayroon umanong malawak na katiwalian, gaya ng mga nasisiwalat sa nakalipas na mga buwan, ito ay hindi sa lebel ng pagpapatupad ng GAA, bagkus ay sa procurement process, kasama ang paglabas ng pondo.
“That is why command responsibility is far more logically relevant in the Executive branch, where there is actual supervision, operational control, and implementation on the ground, than in a collegial legislative body whose constitutional role is deliberation and appropriation.”
“Congress does not build flood control projects. Congress does not conduct procurement. Congress does not inspect whether a project was actually completed. Congress does not certify whether the work done was substandard or not.”
Para kay Romualdez, tama lang na magpuyos sa galit ang sambayanang Pilipino dahil ang ninakaw na pondo ng bayan ay mula sa buwis na kanilang binayad, batay sa pinaghirapan sweldo o kita sa paghahanapbuhay.
Paglilinaw ng Leyte solon, hindi niya nais ibaling sa iba ang atensyon ng publiko bagkus ay tutukan o sundan ang itinuturo ng matibay na ebidensya at hindi ang maniobrang may bahid politika.
“So I ask the Ombudsman and the public these questions: Who has been named in sworn testimonies and affidavits? Whose names actually appear in credible accounts made under oath? If there are sworn accounts pointing to other personalities across the chain, whether in budget deliberations or in implementation, then those leads must be pursued with the same seriousness and the same urgency. Accountability cannot be selective.”
Sa paniwala niyang umiiral ang “legal system” at “rule of law” sa bansa, pinili niyang manahimik sa mga nakalipas na mga buwan.
“But my silence is now being exploited with politically engineered and fabricated narratives. What’s even more disturbing—and this is something that cannot be ignored—is that there are emerging indications that certain sectors are attempting to weaponize individuals, including Zaldy Co, to construct a narrative that serves their own interests. So, when the legal process is being used against me as a political demolition job, then, I will have no choice but to defend myself,” diin ni Romualdez.
“And I will defend myself fully,” sambit pa niya.
“I will not allow myself to be turned into the scapegoat so that others who are actually accountable can walk away clean. If this is a political play to push me out and close the story, tarnishing my name and my reputation, then I am telling everyone now: I will not go quietly, and I will not go alone. I will not be the fall guy for other people’s corruption.”
“I have been in public life long enough. I have seen enough. I have heard enough. I know many things: about this current Administration and past Administrations as well. And I say this carefully: if this matter is to be handled as a legal issue, then let it be handled legally, soberly, and according to evidence. But if certain people insist on waging this in the court of public opinion, then I will have no choice but to defend myself publicly as well.”
May hamon din si Romualdez sa Office of the Ombudsman — “With full respect: if your office truly believes in justice, then follow the sworn statements, follow the records, and follow the evidence all the way. Do not stop where it is politically convenient. Do not settle for the easiest headline. Do not confuse public pressure with prosecutorial duty.”
At para sa mga tao na ang tingin ay kaya siyang basta-basta na lamang sipain para isalba ang kanilang sarili — “This is what I say to you: I am ready to defend my name. My silence should not be mistaken for weakness, ignorance, or fear. I know enough to defend myself. And if I am forced to do so in public, I will.”
