By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
QUEZON CITY — Criminal charges will be filed next week against Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, et al for alleged falsified insertions in the 2025 national budget worth P241 billion.
In a press conference in Kamuning Bakery Cafe on Saturday (Feb. 8), former House Speaker and now Davao del Sur (1st District) Rep. Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez said that they will file criminal charges against House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez because they have inserted P241 billion, which was not approved by the BiCam.
Alvarez added that the amount P241 billion was not tackled in the Plenary session of the 19th Congress.
He noted that the House of Representatives has not yet released the “Enrolled Bill” in connection with the proposed 2025 General Appropriations Act.
Alvarez stressed that House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Marikina City Rep. Stella Quimbo herself admitted that there were blanks in the BiCam Report.
He pointed out that the media may request for the copy of the “Enrolled Bill” so that it will be known whether there were really blank documents.
“Our filing of the criminal cases are separate from politics. It’s clear that Speaker Romualdez and Cong. Dalipe have committed criminal acts against the people of the Philippines,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez challenged President Marcos that if the government shuts down, only the Executive Branch should be shut down.
Atty. Jimmy Bondoc, former PAGCOR executive and now running for Senator, who is also part of the legal team of PDP, said that it’s important that there are the documents in connection with the General Appropriations Act.
“Let us stick to reason. What happened here was that the 1987 Constitution was violated,” Bondoc said.
Diego Magpantay, President of Cizitens Crime Watch (CCW), said that the government has appropriated huge amounts to NIA projects, which were all allegedly substandard or anomalous.
The CCW was founded by Atty. Jose Malvar Villegas in 1992.
Magpantay said that the CCW will be filing the criminal cases against Speaker Romualdez, et al, adding that they are filing the criminal cases for the sake of the Filipino.
“We are just asking for your moral support in order for us to continue our anti-crime and corruption advocacy,” Magpantay said.
He expressed the hope that the Filipino people will understand them, considering the fact that the AKAP (Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita) has been politicized.
“And how about those who don’t earn a living,” he added.
Magpantay stressed that the employees of the DSWD and the DPWH are the ones being blamed by the people and not the politicians.
Atty. Ferdie Topacio said that they will file the criminal cases on Monday (Feb. 10) with the Manila Prosecutors Office against Speaker Romualdez and others for having falsified official documents of the House of Representatives.
Topacio surmised that the House deliberately passed the 2025 General Appropriations Act in order to have ample time to put in the Order of Business of the 19th Congress the impeachment of Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte.
Voting 215, the House impeached the Vice President on Feb. 5, 2025 before the 19th Congress adjourned sine die 6 days before the start of the campaign for national positions in the May 12, 2025 midterm elections.
Meanwhile, another 25 House Members have signed in the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Duterte.
Atty. Raul Lambino confirmed the statement of Rep. Alvarez such that there should be the documents of the Technical Working Group as well as the members of the BiCam from both the House and the Senate.
Lambino had been working with the House for the longest time.
He said that it’s the first time that there were blanks in the BiCam Report which was made as basis of the enrolled bill.
Lambino noted that Quimbo has indeed admitted that there were “blanks” in the documents pertaining to the BiCam Report which was made as basis of the “enrolled bill” for the 2025 General Appropriations Act.
“These ‘insertions’ are more serious than the previous ‘pork barrel’ of Congressmen and Senators,” Lambino said.
Lambino wondered why President Marcos did not veto such insertions.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. signed into law the P6.326-Trillion 2025 General Appropriations Act on Dec. 30, 2024.
However, President Marcos vetoed P189-billion in unprogramned appropriations of the 19th Congress.
