Budget critics seek suspension of Romualdez, 3 other House members

Metro Manila, Philippines - Budget law critics have asked the Ombudsman on Wednesday, Feb. 19, to suspend House Speaker Martin Romualdez and three other lawmakers over questionable insertions in the appropriations bill.

The complainants said the insertions amounted to P241 billion.

“Considering their high positions, power and influence, it does not take a superbly imaginative mind to know that respondents will do or cause to be done any and all acts, either directly or through their subordinates/subalterns in office who are all under their control and influence, to suborn witnesses, tamper with evidence and perjure testimony to escape penalty,” the motion stated.

“The evidence of guilt against the respondents are not only strong but overwhelming and cannot be overemphasized,” it also read.

Other respondents are House Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe, former House appropriations committee chairman Rep. Zaldy Co, the panel’s acting chairperson Rep. Stella Quimbo, and two unidentified people.

Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez and three other complainants cited falsification of legislative documents and violation of the anti-graft law in relation to the P6.3-trillion national budget.

On Feb. 10, the same complainants filed criminal and graft complaints with the Ombudsman against the four lawmakers after former President Rodrigo Duterte said there were items in the bicameral conference committee report of the national budget which had blank allocations.

Quimbo confirmed the blank items and explained that the amounts agreed upon by the bicameral committee members will be put in place by authorized technical staff.

Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, former Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez, and six others have filed a petition, challenging the budget law’s constitutionality before the Supreme Court.