Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco told the Sandiganbayan Third Division on Tuesday, Nov. 10, that President Bongbong Marcos confronted former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, his cousin, over the misuse of government funds intended for the administration’s flagship infrastructure projects.
Appearing as a prosecution witness in Romualdez’s ₱7.44-billion plunder case, Tiangco recalled a meeting on Nov. 24, 2024, when Marcos questioned Romualdez about money taken from government projects by him and former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co.
“During that meeting, I personally witnessed the President reprimand Romualdez saying, ‘Wala pa akong napapagawang malaking proyekto. Kasi kayo ni Zaldy kinukuha niyo ang pera sa mga malaking proyekto. Kayo ni Zaldy ang sumisira sa gobyernong ito, papabagsakin ninyo ang gobyerno ko,’” Tiangco stated in his judicial affidavit.
When prosecutors asked Tiangco what else the President had said, he recalled Marcos questioning Romualdez about his luxury properties and other possessions.
“I remember him saying to Romualdez, ‘How many houses in Forbes Park do you want? How many airplanes do you need? How many Ferraris do you want? How much caviar can you eat?’” Tiangco testified.
The Office of the Ombudsman, headed by Boying Remulla, filed a ₱7.44-billion plunder case on Sept. 7 against Romualdez, Zaldy Co and two others over allegations that they received kickbacks and other financial benefits from flood-control and infrastructure projects under the 2022 to 2025 national budgets. Romualdez remains detained in connection with the case.
Tiangco also testified that the practice of selling project allocations was already in place when he returned to Congress in 2022, with certain percentages being charged before projects could proceed. He maintained that such a system could not have operated on that scale without the knowledge of House leadership.
