DAVAO City First District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte said that former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. are protecting themselves and their allies from accountability, while shifting focus away from alleged corruption scandals tied to billions of pesos in public projects.
In a statement released Tuesday, January 21, 2026, Duterte said, “Enough of the deception. While the public is being drowned in a half-baked impeachment case, the real scandals, the ones involving power, money, and blood ties are being deliberately kept out of reach.”
He specifically criticized Romualdez, whom he referred to as Tambaloslos and President Marcos as Bangag Jr. as “permanently untouchable,” raising concerns about what he described as selective investigations and a lack of transparency in government oversight.
Duterte cited Senate Blue Ribbon hearings, where witnesses allegedly testified that contractor Curlee Discaya admitted to building a Forbes Park mansion for Romualdez. According to Duterte, the Senate failed to pursue further verification after Discaya later denied the claim. He condemned the lack of follow-up, saying there was “no cross-checking, no subpoenas, no call to the officers of the company officially listed as the owner — despite having the authority to do so.”
The lawmaker also highlighted flood control corruption, alleging that projects involving Romualdez and Marcos allies were consistently ignored by investigators, even as billions of pesos allegedly disappeared and communities remained vulnerable to flooding.
“This is no longer a coincidence. This is a pattern. Create noise with impeachment drama. Divert attention from big-money corruption. Protect the inner circle at all costs,” Duterte stated.
The feud
Romualdez, who served as House Speaker until his resignation in September 2025, faced criticism for alleged misuse of congressional funds and flood control projects linked to his allies.
His resignation, Duterte claims, was a tactic to deflect scrutiny rather than a step toward accountability.
The political rivalry intensified when Pulong Duterte and fellow Duterte-aligned lawmakers openly opposed Romualdez’s leadership in mid-2025, walking out during key votes for his speakership. The disagreements, observers say, reflect broader tensions between Duterte-aligned lawmakers and the Romualdez–Marcos political alliance, which dominates the House and has strong influence over national budget allocations and congressional oversight.
Duterte’s statement comes amid heightened political scrutiny over government accountability and alleged nepotism.
He concluded with a pointed warning: “If accountability ends where family and allies begin, then what we are witnessing is not democracy — it is power shielding itself from scrutiny. The people are not blind. They know when they are being played. And they will remember who looked away. Hukman lang gihapon mo sa katawhan karong 2028.” DEF