In response, Romualdez and other accused parties have denied the allegations, calling them “false, malicious and politically motivated.”
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In response, Romualdez and other accused parties have denied the allegations, calling them “false, malicious and politically motivated.”
Vice President Sara Duterte has delivered a bombshell, accusing her political ally—former House Speaker Martin Romualdez—of receiving gambling kickbacks from online gambling operations in addition to corruption in infrastructure projects. Her statement warns that Manila’s stability could be at risk amid what she calls an “avalanche of abuses.”
Duterte claims that Romualdez pocketed funds not only from substandard flood control projects but also through gambling kickbacks. She says one of his own staffers recently admitted this, and she used their disclosure in her public remarks. The timing is explosive: Romualdez is a cousin of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., and had been a key campaigner for the Marcos-Duterte alliance in the 2022 elections.
Her accusation widens a corruption investigation that already involves multiple high-profile names, including senators and former officials. As the political fallout spreads, critics say these charges deepen the rift between the Marcos and Duterte political blocs and may destabilize internal alliances.
In response, Romualdez and other accused parties have denied the allegations, calling them “false, malicious and politically motivated.” Meanwhile, observers in Manila warn that the drama surrounding the gambling kickbacks could reshape power dynamics in the run-up to elections.
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