Romualdez on cash deliveries at McKinley home: No one there but construction workers

Former Speaker Martin Romualdez took exception to fresh allegations linking him to flood control project anomalies, calling them "falsehoods."

"I was deeply surprised to hear the allegation raised against me today before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee— that several pieces of luggage supposedly containing money were ever delivered to a residence associated with me," he said in a statement.

"The so-called testimony of Senator (Rodante) Marcoleta’s witness is an outright and complete fabrication—nothing more than a desperate attempt to link me to supposed kickbacks where none exist. Pilit na pilit," he added.

The Leyte congressman, cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., cited a "telling flaw" in the testimony of the witness, who claimed that deliveries were made to his McKinley home in Makati City beginning December 2024.

"That's impossible. That property has been under renovation since January 2024 and was unoccupied except for construction workers. Falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus —false in one thing, false in everything," he said.

"This is clearly political and the product of coaching. I will not allow these perjurious statements to pass unchallenged. Hindi ko ito palalampasin (I will not let this pass)," he added.

On Thursday's Senate blue ribbon inquiry, former security consultant Orly Regala Guteza, claimed he personally delivered luggage of money to the residences of Romualdez and Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co. 

Guteza, who was presented by Marcoleta, said he is a former member of the Philippine Marines and was hired as a security aide of Co in December 2024. 

Romualdez reiterated he "never received or benefited from kickbacks in any infrastructure project." He added he did not authorize anyone to engage in dealings that would taint his name.

He said he is ready to face any investigation any time.

"I welcome a fair, transparent, and impartial investigation to expose these falsehoods. I voluntarily resigned as Speaker of the House of Representatives precisely to demonstrate my full support for the inquiry into flood control issues," he said.

"I remained silent out of respect for the process, but now that my name has been maliciously dragged into this controversy, I will fight back— not with rhetoric, but with evidence," he added.

Romualdez resigned on September 17 as Speaker, citing the need to insulate the lower chamber from allegations of corruption being leveled against him, which he earlier denied.—LDF, GMA Integrated News