Alvarez Files Graft Case Against Speaker Romualdez
MARTIN ROMUALDEZ – The House Speaker, along with several lawmakers, has been charged with multiple criminal and graft complaints over alleged questionable insertions in the 2025 national budget. The case was formally filed at the Office of the Ombudsman on February 10, 2025.
Former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, along with lawyers Ferdinand Topacio, Jimmy Bondoc, Raul Lambino, and Citizens Crime Watch President Diego Magpantay, accused Romualdez and other House leaders of falsifying legislative documents and violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The complaint highlights an alleged P241 billion worth of budget insertions.
Also facing charges are House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, former House Appropriations Committee Chair Zaldy Co, and acting Appropriations Committee Chair Marikina Representative Stella Quimbo. The complainants argue that these allocations were irregularly inserted into the General Appropriations Act (GAA), raising concerns about transparency and legality.
Last month, former Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez and Davao Representative Isidro Ungab petitioned the Supreme Court to nullify the 2025 GAA. They claimed that blank line items totaling approximately P100 billion were found in the budget’s bicameral conference committee report. However, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. denied these claims, stating that he had thoroughly reviewed all 4,057 pages of the budget before signing it.
The allegations have sparked controversy in Congress. Some lawmakers dismissed the complaints as “diversionary tactics” aimed at discrediting the administration’s budget planning, while others insist that the charges must be taken seriously to ensure accountability and prevent corruption in government spending.
The Office of the Ombudsman will now investigate the complaints, which could lead to legal consequences for the accused officials if proven true. Meanwhile, the issue continues to fuel debates on transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.
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