DAVAO City First District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte blasted the replacement of House Speaker Martin Romualdez with Isabela Representative Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, calling it a mere change in face but not in system.
"Ano to? Isa namang cover-up move! Palit lang ng Mukha pero parehong bulok pa rin ang sistem (What is this? Just another cover-up move! They just changed the face, but the system is still rotten)," he said in a statement on Wednesday, September 17, 2025.
He claimed Dy was handpicked by the presidential son and House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos to replace Romualdez, a fellow Partido Federal member.
Duterte challenged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to prove he is serious about fighting corruption, saying that he should have filed cases against corrupt lawmakers right away.
Corruption, he added, won’t end with tears and empty talk, the President must prove his words with action.
Duterte said that after nearly four years in office, Marcos cannot pretend he knows nothing about corruption in Congress. With his son Sandro as Majority Leader, he added, the President can’t act as if he saw and heard nothing of the irregularities.
The lawmaker urged the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to publish a full list of projects in every district so the public can see the truth.
He said deception and theatrics must stop, and if Marcos wants public respect, he must confront corruption directly — no cover-ups, no pretenses. If the President cannot clean his own ranks, Duterte added, he might as well go home.
Romualdez confirmed his resignation through Deputy Speaker and Antipolo Representative Ronaldo Puno, who revealed the decision in a television interview. Puno said Romualdez finalized his move after meeting with Marcos on Tuesday, September 16, and announced it to House leaders the following day.
Puno also recalled that about three weeks ago, Romualdez had already gathered House party leaders and told them he was considering “stepping aside” amid corruption allegations over flood control projects that, he admitted, were hampering Congress’s work.
The controversy stems from Senate hearings where construction firm owners, the Discaya couple, alleged that some lawmakers demanded kickbacks in exchange for allowing their companies to bag flood control projects.
They further claimed that some legislators said the money was for Romualdez and then-appropriations chair, Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co, who supposedly pushed for flood control funding through unprogrammed funds and budget insertions. RGP with reports from TAP/SNS