Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco accused Quezon 2nd District Rep. David Jay jay C. Suarez, whom former House Speaker Martin Romualdez appointed as Senior Deputy Speaker during his tenure, of withholding a list of approximately ₱26 billion in infrastructure projects attributed to Romualdez in the 2025 national budget, which many have dubbed the “most corrupt” budget of all time.
Tiangco made the accusation during his testimony before the Sandiganbayan Third Division on Nov. 10, as the court heard Romualdez’s petition for bail in his ₱7.44-billion plunder case.
Tiangco said he had requested a list naming lawmakers who proposed infrastructure projects but received the records from Suarez only after the latter sought clearance from House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos. According to Tiangco, Suarez wanted Marcos’ approval because the documents would also name the President’s son as a project proponent.
Tiangco recounted that Marcos had no objection to releasing the documents, saying he had never sold projects or demanded anything in exchange for them.
However, Tiangco said the documents handed over by Suarez did not include approximately ₱26 billion in projects attributed to Romualdez and another ₱5 billion linked to Tingog Party-list.
He also obtained a separate Excel file from the late Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, showing approximately ₱209 billion in amendments to the 2025 DPWH budget during the bicameral conference process.
Comparing the records, Tiangco found differences in project proponents, funding allocations and congressional districts. He questioned why billions in projects were listed under Romualdez’s name when most were located outside his legislative district in Leyte.
Tiangco said only about ₱2 billion of the roughly ₱27.4 billion in projects attributed to Romualdez were located in his district. He also questioned allocations for projects in Davao City and Davao del Norte.
On Nov. 9, DPWH Programming Division Chief Peter Paul Cortez testified that 444 infrastructure projects worth ₱27.43 billion were tagged under Romualdez’s name in the agency’s database. Cortez said the entries came from information supplied by Cabral and that he had not independently verified the project proponents.
During cross-examination, Tiangco acknowledged that he had no firsthand knowledge of cash deliveries or commissions received by Romualdez. He also clarified that being listed as a project proponent did not automatically establish wrongdoing.
Romualdez faces a ₱7.44-billion plunder charge in connection with the flood-control corruption scandal.
The Supreme Court recently ruled the 2024 and 2025 General Appropriations Acts unconstitutional, both of which were passed under Romualdez’s speakership, and struck down specific unprogrammed appropriations provisions in the 2026 budget. The ruling stemmed from Congress’ unlawful expansion of unprogrammed appropriations and increases to the President’s proposed total budget without complying with strict constitutional limits.
