VICE President Sara Duterte said resigned House Speaker Martin Romualdez is also getting kickbacks from illegal gambling.
In an interview with reporters in the Senate on Monday, September 29, 2025, Duterte said she was not surprised by the claims that suitcases containing billions worth of cash, which allegedly came from anomalous flood control projects, were delivered to Romualdez.
(We’ve known about that for a long time because it has long been talked about. From the start of our term as President and Vice President, we already heard about the delivery of money placed in suitcases. But it only came out in public now because there’s a witness who said that he himself was the one bringing those suitcases)
“Hindi siya odd for Martin Romualdez because he was already involved in heavy luggages doon sa Okada case. Kung maalala ninyo doon sa State of Delaware, uh case sa America, nabanggit na 'yung pangalan niya doon at nabanggit na rin ‘yung pangalan niya doon na tumatanggap ng ah pera na nakalagay sa luggages. So ganun talaga ‘yung modus nila,” she added.
(It’s not odd for Martin Romualdez because he was already involved in heavy luggage in the Okada case. If you recall, in the State of Delaware case in America, his name was mentioned there, and it was also mentioned that he was receiving money placed in luggage. So that’s really their modus.)
Duterte said that aside from getting kickbacks from anomalous flood control projects, illegal gambling is Romualdez’s another source of corruption.
In response, Romualdez said Duterte is imagining things, noting that her accusations were baseless.
“These stories about ‘suitcases of cash’ are pure fiction. Lahat guni-guni. Madaling magturo, madaling mag-imbento -- pero ang katotohanan, hindi kayang patunayan. Until today, wala pa ring ipinakitang ebidensya - puro sabi-sabi lang na inuulit-ulit,” he said in a statement.
(These stories about ‘suitcases of cash’ are pure fiction — all imagination. It’s easy to point fingers, easy to make things up — but the truth is, they cannot be proven. Until today, no evidence has been presented — it’s all just hearsay repeated over and over.)
“Sa isyung Okada/Delaware, malinaw: hindi ako kasali, hindi ako iniimbestigahan, at hindi ako akusado. Wala akong kinalaman sa kasong iyon, na away ng dalawang negosyo. Binabalik lang ngayon para siraan ako,” he added.
(On the Okada/Delaware issue, it’s clear: I am not involved, I am not being investigated, and I am not an accused. I have nothing to do with that case, which is a dispute between two businesses. It’s only being brought up again now to discredit me.)
During the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigation on Thursday, September 25, 2025, retired marines Orly Guteza, a former security personnel of now resigned Ako Bicol part-list representative Elizady “Zaldy” Co, claimed delivering bags of cash, which they call “trash,” to Romualdez. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)