House Speaker and congressman Martin Romualdez. ARCHIVE

Philippine House Speaker Martin Romualdez will not be spared from accountability if evidence ties him to irregularities in government flood control projects, Malacañang said on Wednesday (September 17), even as lawmakers confirmed that the embattled leader is preparing to resign from his post. Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro stressed that stepping down from the speakership will not shield Romualdez, a cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., from an independent probe into the infrastructure mess. “Whether he resigns or not, he can still be investigated,” Castro said in Filipino, adding that Romualdez could better defend himself by presenting records if evidence surfaces. She also said it would be “acceptable” if the Speaker resigns to preserve the integrity of Congress and allow an open investigation. Castro confirmed that Romualdez met with Marcos at Malacañang on Tuesday evening but gave no further details, as rumors of a House leadership shake-up intensified.

Independent probe underway

The Palace pointed out that the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), created by Marcos with sweeping powers to investigate anomalies in infrastructure programs, has already started work at the Department of Public Works and Highways. The commission is chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice Andres Reyes Jr., with former DPWH Secretary Rogelio “Babes” Singson and SGV & Co. Country Managing Partner Rossana Fajardo as members. Castro said the body has begun setting up its structure and office, with President Marcos expecting “immediate results.” She added that more than 16,000 complaints have been filed through the “Sumbong sa Pangulo” website, many of which will be endorsed to the commission for evaluation.

Romualdez to resign

Meanwhile, House Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno confirmed that Romualdez intends to formally submit his resignation as Speaker, a move that party leaders had tried to dissuade him from taking for weeks. “Yesterday, our Speaker Romualdez called us in and told us that he intends to resign from his position today,” Puno said in a dzMM interview. Romualdez reportedly recommended House Deputy Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III as his successor. According to Puno, Romualdez insisted that stepping aside was the best way to protect the House’s reputation amid mounting controversies. “He said maybe he should step aside so that he could face these allegations. It wouldn’t be good if there were only rumors and people would say he was using his position to avoid scrutiny,” Puno explained. Puno added that Romualdez rejected the option of going on leave, saying it would only fuel speculation. “He said the problem with taking a leave is that people would say, ‘He’ll just come back,’” Puno said.

What happens next

Despite resigning as Speaker, Romualdez will remain a congressman and plans to focus on clearing his name. “The most recent issue started back in January regarding the so-called budget insertions, but now we’ve learned that it actually wasn’t him and he had nothing to do with it,” Puno said, noting that Romualdez endured months of criticism despite the lack of direct evidence. In February, however, Romualdez and several lawmakers were slapped with 12 counts of falsification and 12 counts of graft before the Office of the Ombudsman over alleged ₱241 billion worth of budget “insertions” in the 2025 national budget. Romualdez has also been dragged into bribery allegations after contractor-couple Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya and Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya claimed during a Senate inquiry that some lawmakers received kickbacks from infrastructure funds, with 25 percent supposedly allocated to Romualdez and another lawmaker. He has denied any wrongdoing. As the ICI begins its probe, all eyes are now on whether Romualdez’s resignation will ease political tensions in the House—or intensify scrutiny over corruption in public works projects. ICA/Expat Media
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