Nelson Morales

Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

Article (news)

Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1759131906333VPSARA AND ROMUALDEZ 09292025.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File"/>Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File </div>MANILA -- Vice President Sara Duterte has alleged that former House Speaker Martin Romualdez also received kickbacks from illegal gambling, aside from flood control projects. &quot;Hindi lang sa flood control, ma&#x27;am. Pati sa illegal gambling. Tumatanggap sila,&quot; Duterte said on Monday, while declining to name her sources. &quot;Si Martin Romualdez so hindi lang siya sa flood control… Marami pang iba pang mga sources ng corruption na dine-deliver,&quot; she added.The vice president said she is not surprised by talks of cash deliveries to Romualdez. &quot;Well, matagal naman namin na alam yan dahil matagal naman na yan pinag-uusapan. Simula pa lang noong pagpasok namin as President and Vice President, naririnig na namin yung delivery ng mga pera na nakalagay sa mga suitcases,&quot; she said. &quot;Pero ngayon lang siya lumabas in public dahil merong witness na nagsabi na siya mismo ang nagdadala ng mga suitcases na yun. Hindi siya odd for Martin Romualdez because he was already involved in heavy luggages doon sa Okada case.&quot;&quot;Kung maalala ninyo doon sa State of Delaware case sa Amerika, nabanggit na yung pangalan niya doon at nabanggit na rin yung pangalan niya doon na tumatanggap ng pera na nakalagay sa luggages. So ganun talaga yung modus nila,&quot; she also said.Romualdez denied the allegations made by the vice president, saying: &quot;Diretsahan kong sasabihin: hindi totoo na ako&#x27;y tumatanggap mula sa ilegal na sugal.&quot;The former speaker, who stepped down from his post last September 17 after he was implicated in alleged corruption in flood control projects, said the stories about &#x27;suitcases of cash&#x27; are &quot;pure fiction.&quot;<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/17/romualdez-resigns-as-house-speaker-1525">READ: Romualdez resigns as House Speaker; Dy elected as successor</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/17/isabela-rep-faustino-dy-iii-is-new-house-speaker-1819">READ: Isabela Rep. Faustino Dy III is new House speaker</a></div>&quot;Madaling magturo, madaling mag-imbento — pero ang katotohanan, hindi kayang patunayan. Until today, wala pa ring ipinakitang ebidensya — puro sabi-sabi lang na inuulit-ulit,&quot; he said in a statement.&quot;Sa isyung Okada/Delaware, malinaw: hindi ako kasali, hindi ako iniimbestigahan, at hindi ako akusado. Wala akong kinalaman sa kasong iyon, na away ng dalawang negosyo. Binabalik lang ngayon para siraan ako,&quot; he added. &quot;Nakakalungkot na ang mismong Bise Presidente, na inakusahan at na-impeach ng House dahil sa maling paggamit ng pondo, ay siya pang nagkakalat ng ganitong kasinungalingan. When the source itself has lost credibility, why should anyone believe these baseless claims?&quot;Romualdez was not directly accused of corruption but had strongly denied the allegation linking him to anomalous flood control projects. He said he was resigning as Speaker &quot;with a clear conscience&quot; to give way to an indepent investigation into the issue.Isabela Sixth District Rep. Faustino &quot;Bojie&quot; Dy III replaced Romualdez as House Speaker.<div> </div><div>&#x27;DISTRESSED&#x27;</div>Meanwhile, Vice President Duterte said her father, detained former President Rodrigo Duterte, is &quot;distressed&quot; by the flood control issue.&quot;Lately, he&#x27;s been distressed about the flood control talk,&quot; she said. She also maintained that government institutions have been abused for personal gain.&quot;We already seen the testimony of witnesses about corruption and there is practically nothing happening in our country. Ilang ulit ko na yan sinasabi noon na tigilan yung politika, tigilan yung pag-una ng pansariling interest kasi walang nangyayari sa ating bansa,&quot; she said. She is staying away from rumored coup plots against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and maintained that nobody approached her for a possible change in national leadership. This, after coup rumors swirled in the aftermath of the September 21 rallies.&quot;Wala, ma&#x27;am. Wala sa akin. Baka sila-sila lang gusto maging president. So sa kanila na yan, ma&#x27;am,&quot; she said.

Vice President Sara Duterte has alleged that former House Speaker Martin Romualdez also received kickbacks from illegal gambling, aside from flood control projects.

Vice President Sara Duterte has alleged that former House Speaker Martin Romualdez also received kickbacks from illegal gambling, aside from flood control projects.

VP Sara Duterte links ex-Speaker Romualdez to illegal gambling

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VP Sara Duterte links ex-Speaker Romualdez to illegal gambling

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 29, 2025 03:45 PM PHT

Read More:

Sara Duterte

Martin Romualdez

illegal gambling

Okada

Delaware

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