As the fallout deepens between the Philippines’ two biggest political clans with Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio facing an impeachment bid thought to be orchestrated by the president and his allies, the Duterte camp has countered with a corruption complaint filed against House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
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Observers are also mixed on how soon Duterte-Carpio would stand trial or whether it would take place at all, given the Congress recess and its dissolution after the May midterm election.
The latest corruption allegations against Romualdez were lodged with the Office of the Ombudsman currently headed by Samuel Martires, an appointee of former president and Sara’s father Rodrigo Duterte.
Under the law, the ombudsman can recommend the suspension, removal, or prosecution of public officials if he finds a prima facie case against an accused official. Martires’ tenure lapses in August.
The corruption complaint filed by former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and other Duterte allies accuses Romualdez and five other lawmakers of corruption by illegally inserting 241 billion pesos (US$4.1 billion) after the 2025 national budget was approved by Congress. They claimed the amounts for certain expenditure items had been intentionally left blank to allow for secret insertions later.
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The same 2025 national budget was the subject of a January 27 petition before the Supreme Court questioning the budget’s constitutionality. Last week, the court ordered Speaker Romualdez, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero and the presidential palace to counter the petition.