Daven Tamayo

Romualdez resigns as House Speaker; Dy elected as successor

Article (news)

Jamaine Punzalan

Rowegie Abanto

ABS-CBN News

<div><iframe width="1100" height="619" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g2Bms-DKys0" title="LIVE: House of Representatives Session No. 14 (Day 3) | September 17" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>MANILA<strong> (UPDATED)</strong> — Isabela Sixth District Rep. Faustino &quot;Bojie&quot; Dy III replaced Rep. Martin Romualdez as House Speaker on Wednesday, after he stepped down from the post give way to an independent investigation into alleged anomalies in flood control projects.  </p><p>Romualdez was among lawmakers and government officials implicated in alleged corruption in flood control projects.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/8/disacayas-says-corrupt-officials-used-them-in-anomalous-bidding-1114">Discaya couple tags lawmakers, DPWH execs in flood control fiasco</a></div><p>Although not directly accused of corruption, Romualdez <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/8/lawmakers-deny-discaya-corruption-claims-in-flood-control-mess-1217">has strongly denied the allegation.</a></p><p>He said he was resigning as Speaker &quot;with a clear conscience&quot; to allow the <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/17/over-16k-sumbong-sa-pangulo-reports-to-be-turned-over-to-ici-palace-1537">Independent Commission for Infrastructure </a>(ICI) to &quot;pursue its mandate freely and fully, without doubt, without interference, without undue influence.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Walang pipigil, walang makikialam. Let the truth emerge and let justice be done,&quot; he said. </p><p>&quot;I step down not in surrender, but in service. For sometimes, the greatest act of leadership is the grace to let it go,&quot; Romualdez added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/8/lawmakers-deny-discaya-corruption-claims-in-flood-control-mess-1217">Romualdez, lawmakers deny &#x27;false, malicious&#x27; Discaya corruption claims</a></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175809899993120250917-house-romualdez-resignation-MT5.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Speaker Martin Romualdez delivers his speech as he steps down from his post as Speaker of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, September 17, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </span></span></span></div><p>Earlier Wednesday, House Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno of Antipolo said some party leaders proposed that Romualdez instead take a leave, which he rejected. Puno added that Romualdez would remain a congressman and would concentrate on his district in Leyte province.</p><p>&quot;The issues surrounding certain infrastructure projects have raised questions that weigh not only upon me, but upon this institution we all serve,&quot; Romualdez said. </p><p>&quot;The longer I stay, the heavier that burden grows — on me, this House, and the President I have always sought to support,&quot; he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;HOUSE WILL CHANGE&#x27; </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Dy was elected as Romualdez&#x27;s successor with 253 votes. Twenty-eight lawmakers abstained from the vote, four did not vote, and none registered a negative vote.</p><p>Dy said that under his leadership, &quot;The House will change.&quot; </p><p>&quot;I will not defend the guilty. I will not shield the corrupt,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Mayroon po kaming pagkukulang. Kami po ay nagpapakumbaba sa inyo. Nakikiusap po kami na sana ay bigyan n&#x27;yo kami ng pagkakataong ituwid ang mga maling kalakaran at linisin ang aming hanay,&quot; Dy said, addressing the public. </p><p>He added that the House should strengthen its oversight committee and coordinate with the ICI.</p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FabscbnNEWS%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0YzZotQphmj25Ljg3HGuSuymvjZ6EQQv34GjUH91xtqwy5UjKJ7CivdzYFswv7p4Al&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=500" width="500" height="280" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>On Monday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Romualdez, who is his cousin, and their allies in Congress <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/15/marcos-romualdez-allies-will-not-be-spared-in-independent-probe-on-flood-control-projects-1039">would not be spared</a> from the independent investigation into flood control and other infrastructure projects in the last decade.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/8/disacayas-says-corrupt-officials-used-them-in-anomalous-bidding-1114">Discaya couple says lawmakers, DPWH execs &#x27;used&#x27; them in flood control anomalies</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/17/zaldy-co-should-be-brought-back-to-ph-forcibly-if-necessary-puno-0946">Zaldy Co should be brought back to PH, &#x27;forcibly if necessary,&#x27; says Puno</a></div><p>Romualdez tendered his resignation less than two weeks after Sen. Francis Escudero was replaced as Senate president. </p><p>Escudero&#x27;s name was linked to one of the country&#x27;s top flood control project contractors, a revelation he called a<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/29/escudero-slams-efforts-to-link-him-to-flood-budget-misuse-as-demolition-job-1619"> &quot;demolition job&quot;</a> aimed at removing him from the Senate&#x27;s top post.</p><div><strong></strong></div><p>Public anger over so-called ghost infrastructure projects has been intensifying since Marcos in July put them center stage in his State of the Nation Address that followed weeks of deadly flooding. Thousands are expected to turn out in the Manila on Sunday for a<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/15/groups-call-on-public-to-join-sept-21-protest-to-voice-anger-over-corruption-1658"> &quot;Trillion Peso March&quot;, </a>named for a Greenpeace estimate of funds allegedly bilked from climate-related projects since 2023.</p><p>Marcos on Monday announced<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/15/who-is-ex-sc-justice-andy-reyes-jr-2152"> former Supreme Court justice Andres Reyes </a>would head a three-person commission tasked with looking into the past 10 years of flood control projects.</p><div><strong>— With reports from Agence France-Presse David Dizon, ABS-CBN News</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS: </strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y-lMQupMzNI?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sq1LKEFlS_s?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uG4dSYz_0YM?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JLKNXi9OBN8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Isabela Sixth District Rep. Faustino "Bojie" Dy III replaced Rep. Martin Romualdez as House Speaker on Wednesday, after he stepped down from the post give way to an independent investigation into alleged anomalies in flood control projects.</p>

Isabela Sixth District Rep. Faustino "Bojie" Dy III replaced Rep. Martin Romualdez as House Speaker on Wednesday, after he stepped down from the post give way to an independent investigation into alleged anomalies in flood control projects.