Speaker denies receiving bribes; perjury eyed vs Discayas

MANILA, Philippines — Eleven of the 19 members of the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Martin Romualdez, tagged by a contractor as having received bribes related to flood control projects have denied the accusation, vowing to file charges in retaliation.

Flood project contractor Curlee Discaya’s testimony before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee yesterday named the officials who allegedly demanded bribes from him and his wife Sarah.

Romualdez, whose name was allegedly used by the other accused officials, denied any involvement.

“I cannot and will not allow lies and name-dropping to pass unchecked. The claim in the Discaya couple’s affidavit that my name was used for commissions is false, malicious and nothing more than name-dropping,” the Leyte congressman said.

“Let me be clear: I have nothing to do with, not given any permission nor blessing, to such activities,” Romualdez said in Filipino. “Congress debates and approves the budget. It does not release funds. It does not implement projects.”

“I say this with all honesty: I have never – and I will never – accept a bribe from anybody.

I will not allow falsehoods to tarnish my integrity or the institution I lead. Under my watch, we will clean the system, punish the guilty and protect the people’s money,” the Speaker said.

Co breaks silence

Rep. Zaldy Co of Ako Bicol party-list, who is currently in the US seeking medical treatment, also categorically denied allegations that he received payoffs.

“I vehemently deny all the baseless and irresponsible accusations made against me. These unsubstantiated claims, which attempt to implicate me, are not only hearsay, but are also politically motivated designed to mislead the public and deflect accountability,” Co said.

Reps. Eleandro Jesus Madrona (Romblon), Patrick Michael Vargas (Quezon City fifth district), Marcy Teodoro (Marikina), Roman Romulo (Pasig), Arjo Atayde (QC first district), Leody Tarriela (Occidental Mindoro), Marivic Co-Pilar (QC), Reynante Arrogancia (Quezon province) and former San Jose del Monte City congresswoman Florida Robes all denied the allegations.

Vico: Discaya may be lying

Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto also warned that the Discayas are capable of lying.

So far, eight other House members have yet to issue statements belying the claims of Discaya.

They are Reps. Jojo Ang (Uswag Ilonggo party-list), Nicanor Briones (Agap party-list), Benjamin Agarao (Laguna), former congressman Florencio Noel (An Waray party-list), Marvin Rillo (QC), Teodoro Haresco (Aklan), Dean Asistio (Caloocan) and Antonieta Eudela (Zamboanga-Sibugay).

“I strongly deny it,” Madrona said. “To my recollection, I don’t have any project with him (Discaya). So, what’s the basis of him saying he gave (bribes) to me? I heard he bidded on projects with our budget in Romblon, but I have no hand and knowledge on how he pays those involved!”

Vargas similarly denied the allegation: “100 percent not true. What could be their motive? There have never been any Discaya projects in our district, ever. Zero. This is confirmed and certified. I will file a case for this blatant lie. My track record speaks for itself.”

Teodoro, for his part, categorically denied taking a bribe.

“I have never asked for nor received money, favors or any benefits in exchange for political influence or legislative action,” he said in Filipino. “With this, I am now contemplating on filing charges against the Discayas for lying and for trying to besmirch my good reputation.”

Romulo also refuted the claims. “I strongly deny these malicious and fabricated allegations. I was never involved in any bidding nor in selecting contractors for DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) projects.”

Atayde echoed the same sentiments. “I categorically deny the allegation. I have never dealt with them. I have never used my position for personal gain, and I never will. I will avail of all remedies under the law to clear my name and hold accountable those who spread these falsehoods.”

Arrogancia denied the accusations, too, describing it as “baseless.”

“My office is now talking to our lawyers in order to clear my name against these baseless accusations,” he said in Filipino.

Tarriela, Pilar and Robes echoed their denials.

“I vehemently deny it. I have not received any money or favor from Discaya. Granting of infrastructure projects by the government is the responsibility of the DPWH. We do not know, and do not have any involvement in whatever process this entails,” Tariella said in Filipino.

Pilar, for her part, delivered a privilege speech at the House plenary to defend her honor, and described the allegations against her as a “blatant lie.”

“I never met and never had dealings with the Discayas,” she said.

Robes called out the Discayas, and promised to file a libel case against them. “Whoever is using my name, shame on you! There are no ghost projects here and our infrastructure is world class.”

Exposé ‘unfair’ – Speaker

Romualdez couldn’t hide his displeasure at yesterday’s Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing, where he and only members of the House were implicated in the alleged multibillion-peso flood control project anomalies.

“Senator Escudero may consider the Blue Ribbon hearings as part of his legacy, but it is unfair to call them an accomplishment when they relied on unfounded claims,” he said. “And worse, the accusations came from the contractors themselves – those already under investigation and admitting responsibility for ghost projects.”

To cool things down, Romualdez yesterday initiated and led officials and members of the House in seeking the “understanding” of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin with regard to deliberations of the proposed 2026 national budget.

“If our deliberations have caused any discomfort, we ask for understanding. The House’s duty is not to cast blame but to ensure that every peso in the budget is transparent, accountable and truly for the people,” the Speaker said in a statement. — Janvic Mateo, Gilbert Bayoran