Nilinaw ni House Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno na gusto umanong harapin ni House Speaker Martin Romualdez ang mga akusasyon sa kaniya kaugnay sa kontrobersyal na mga insertions sa 2025 national budget kaya niya napagdesisyunang umalis sa puwesto.
Iginiit ni Puno na wala umanong kinalaman si Romualdez sa mga paratang na ibinabato sa kaniya bagkus direkta niyang binanggit sina Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co at dating Senate President Chiz Escudero bilang maaaring responsable sa mga insertions sa 2025 national budget.
Ayon sa naging panayam ni Puno sa mamamahayag na si Karen Davila sa ANC nitong Miyerkules, Setyembre 17, 2025, ipinaliwanag niya dito ang mga naging desisyon ni Romualdez bago humantong sa desisyong umalis sa kaniyang puwesto bilang House Speaker ng House of the Representatives.
Kinuwestiyon naman ni Karen ang tila pagtrato umano bilang biktima kay Romualdez sa kabila ng biglaang pag-alis nito sa puwesto nang hindi nagiging responsable sa mga nangyaring ‘singit-budget’ sa panahon ng kaniyang speakership.
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“I understand that you work with him. But I think we need to hold our leaders accountable. He is the speaker of the House. The budget emanates from the House. There are talks of unauthenticitousness and extreme wealth, private planes, supposedly more than ten (10) houses in Forbes park[...] But to defend this speaker that he is a victim in all these, it’s appalling to Filipino people.
“In the end, he would not even explain the corruption in the budget that he allowed[...],” anang Karen.
Sagot naman ni Puno, “[a]ctually, I think, the reason for his stepping aside is precisely he wants to address and face all of these. I’m not painting anyone as a victim here. I was just addressing that issue in terms of propaganda.”
Pagpapatuloy pa niya, hindi na lang daw laging sinasagot ni Romualdez ang mga batikos sa kaniya noon kaya siya ang umanong nasisisi ng mga tao.
“When he is attacked, he doesn’t always answer. So that is why he gets blamed for some things that are really not his fault. As to the things that are his fault, I guess that is why he is stepping aside now and not just going on leave so that he can face it. I think it’s good that he will face it,” saad ni Puno.
Kinuwestiyon din naman ni Karen kung bakit umano hindi dapat isisi kay Romualdez ang mga naging insertion sa 2025 national budget.
“The insertions in 2025 national budget, why won’t it be his fault?” pagtatanong ni Karen.
Ipinaliwanag naman ni Puno ang proseso umano ng pagpapasa ng national budget sa gobyerno at itinuro niya sina Co at Escuder bilang maaaring umanong responsable sa pagpirma ng mga insertions.
“Well, here’s the process sa budget[...] The House version did not have the insertions. It went to the Senate. The Senate and the Congress had a bicameral committee. The bicameral committee was composed of many representatives
“Then they decided to make it a small committee. The small committee was four people. Senate President Chiz Escudero, Speaker Romualdez, Senator Grace Poe, and Congressman Zaldy Co
“The small committee went into their meetings. This is where the insertions were put in, by the way. The Speaker did not attend those meetings. Senator Grace Poe was not allowed to attend most of those meetings
“It ended up Zaldy Co and Senate President Escudero were the ones that actually penciled in whatever needed to be pencilled[…] It was the two that actually finalized those things,” pagtuturo ni Puno.
Samantala, nilinaw namang muli ni Karen ang sinabi ni Puno.
“Is it right to say that Zaldy Co and are you saying Chiz Escudero are frankly to blame for [the] 2025 budget?” paninigurado ni Karen.
“Yes,” sagot ni Puno.
Samantala, wala pang inilalabas na pahayag sina Co at Escudero sa naging pahayag na ito ni Puno.
Mc Vincent Mirabuna/Balita
