Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday said the arrest and detention of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez was the “true drama,” as she addressed supporters outside Quezon City Hall after her arraignment on a grave threats case was postponed.
Duterte dismissed accusations of political drama surrounding the filing of criminal charges against her and her allies, saying the real controversy involved Romualdez’s alleged receipt of billions of pesos in kickbacks linked to irregularities in national budget allocations for flood control projects from 2022 to 2025.
“Walang drama sa pag-file ng kaso laban sa akin at sa mga kasamahan at kaalyado ng mga Duterte. Walang drama sa ipinaglalaban namin,” Duterte said during her speech to her supporters at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.
“Ngunit, mayroong drama sa pagaresto at pagkulong kay [dating House Speaker] martin Romualdez,” she added.
Duterte questioned how the money allegedly reached Romualdez, who approved the projects and who handed him the funds.
“Paano nakuha ni Martin Romualdez ang pera? Paano umabot sa kamay ni Martin Romualdez ang pera? Sinong nagapruba ng proyekto? Sino ang nagbigay ng pera sa mga kamay niya?” she said.
Romualdez is currently confined at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City, where authorities served him an arrest warrant.
The Sandiganbayan has ordered his transfer and detention at the New Quezon City Jail, although the order has yet to be implemented as officials said Romualdez remains “unfit to travel.”
Duterte also criticized her ongoing impeachment proceedings, saying the filing of an impeachment case without evidence and the alleged effort to force Congress to find evidence amounted to a violation of the Constitution.
“Ang totoong drama ang mag-file ng impeachment na walang ebidensiya. Ang pilitin ang kongreso para maghanap ng ebidensiya na bastusin ang konstitusyon para lang matanggal ang Duterte sa gobyerno,” she said.
Aside from the criminal case, Duterte is facing an ongoing impeachment trial at the senate where recently, House private prosecutor Atty. Lorna Kapunan has announced plans to present Duterte as a witness in the impeachment trial.
Duterte spoke to her supporters outside Quezon City Hall on Friday after the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 98 postponed the reading of the charges in her grave threats case as the court is still considering a pending motion.
