Romualdez, others face graft, criminal complaints over alleged budget insertions

Metro Manila, Philippines - Criminal and graft complaints were filed on Monday, Feb. 10, against House Speaker Martin Romualdez and three other lawmakers before the Ombudsman over alleged budget insertions.

The complaint was essentially based on allegations of former President Rodrigo Duterte on alleged blank items in the bicameral conference committee report on the General Appropriations Bill, which reconciled the differences of the Senate and House versions.

Former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and other Duterte allies - Ferdinand Topacio and Diego Magpantay for non-government organization Citizen’s Crime Watch, senatorial aspirant Jimmy Bondoc, and Virgilio Garcia - filed complaints.

Other respondents are House Majority Leader Rep. Mannix Dalipe, former House appropriations chairperson Rep. Zaldy Co, and acting appropriations chairperson Rep. Stella Quimbo for alleged violations of anti-graft and corrupt practices and 12 counts of falsification of legislative documents.

Two other “John Does” were also named as respondents who, said the complainants, may be part of the technical working group “acting under instructions of the named respondents.”

The complainants said the insertion totalled P241 billion.

“Kaya 12 counts iyan ay 12 times nilang pinunuan iyong blanks. Iyong po ang in-approve ng bicam ay zero…Dapat po iyon pagdating sa Pangulo ay zero din. Hindi puwedeng palitan iyan unless may typographical error, maling spelling, maling formatting or mispelling…o wrong grammar,” Topacio said.

[Translation:That’s why it’s 12 (counts of falsification of legislative documents) because they filled in the blanks 12 times. What was approved by the bicam is zero. It should be zero when it reaches the President as well. It cannot be changed unless there’s a typographical error, wrong spelling, wrong formatting, or grammatical error.]

Quimbo said there were blanks in the signed bicam report, not in the enrolled bill for signing by the president, saying “all appropriations had already been determined and approved” when bicam members signed the report.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier said he is confident that the budget can withstand legal scrutiny, denying allegations that there are blanks in the appropriations law.

Former Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez and other Duterte allies earlier have challenged the budget law’s constitutionality with the Supreme Court. The court ordered Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Congress to respond.

‘Not politically motivated’

Meanwhile, complainants, mostly connected to the Dutertes, denied that the move against House leaders was politically motivated.

Alvarez said it has nothing to do with the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.

“Walang timing ang criminal case e. Kapag gumawa ka ng krimen, iyon ang timing…Ginawa nila iyan recently kaya kinakailangan aksyunan kaagad natin,” he said.

[Translation: Criminal cases don't have timing. When you commit a crime, that's the timing... They did that recently, so we need to take action immediately]

Dalipe took a swipe at Alvarez, criticizing his silence during budget proceedings.

“As a sitting member of the House during the deliberations of the 2025 General Appropriations Bill, he had every opportunity to raise objections, question allocations, and point out any supposed infirmities during plenary discussions. Yet, he did not. His silence during the legislative process, and his sudden emergence as a complainant, only reinforces the fact that these accusations are not grounded on actual violations but are politically motivated attacks meant to discredit the House leadership,” he said in a statement.

Other respondents have yet to release a statement.