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SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Monday challenged Vice President Sara Duterte to just directly address allegations regarding the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds allotted to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) during her time as Education Secretary and criticized the second highest official for making what he called “diversionary accusations” against him and the First Family, including an alleged assassination plot.
In a speech, Romualdez said the Vice President’s statement that she had contracted an assassin to kill him, President Marcos, and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos was “both alarming and unprecedented” and “is not just reckless—it is dangerous.”
“Let me be clear: This is no longer a joke. This is no longer normal rhetoric. This is a direct threat to our democracy, our government, and the security of our nation,” said Romualdez.
He said the Vice President’s threats against him, the President, and the First Lady send “a chilling message to our people, a message that violence can be contemplated by those in positions of power.”
“This is not just an affront to the individuals targeted; it is an attack on the very foundation of our government. It is an insult to every Filipino who believes in the rule of law and the sanctity of life. Violence has no place in our society. It is irreconcilable with the values that have taught and guided us for years—values of respect and amicable peaceful conflict resolution,” he said.
Romualdez said House members should not let the Vice President’s threats “pass as mere rhetoric.”
“The gravity of such a confession demands accountability. It demands answers. It demands that we, as the representatives of the Filipino people, take a stand to protect our democracy from any and all forms of threats,” he added.
“The actions of the Vice President will go down the annals of history like a nightmare that will haunt our people for generations, and this House will do whatever we can to protect the dignity of this institution and the 100 million Filipinos we represent,” he added.
Plot
ROMUALDEZ said the Vice President’s allegations that he was plotting to destroy her because of her supposed political ambitions in 2028 are “unfounded and baseless” and “are a desperate attempt to distract from the real issues at hand.”
He said his focus “has always been on fulfilling my responsibilities as Speaker of this House, leading with utmost integrity, untarnished by division and self-interest, and guided by the principle that every action and decision I take must always be for the benefit of the Filipino people.”
“These unfounded accusations are not just about me. They are an affront to the House of Representatives. They are an attempt to erode public trust in this institution, to sow division, and to create chaos. We choose unity over division, dialogue over conflict, and cooperation over confrontation,” he added.
The House leader wondered why the Vice President was making the baseless accusations.
“The answer is simple: to divert attention from mounting evidence of fund misuse under her leadership at the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd),” he said.
“The issues surrounding confidential and intelligence funds, the questionable disbursements, and the lack of transparency demand answers. We will not tolerate and accept vague explanations and evasive responses,” he said.
According to the Speaker, the public has the right to know the truth.
“Accountability is not optional. Transparency is not negotiable. Those entrusted with public funds must be prepared to explain where it was disbursed and how these resources were utilized,” he added.
He reminded everyone that “the truth is resilient” and “no amount of noise can drown it out.”
The House leader told his colleagues that he was prompted to address them, “with a heavy but reroute heart,” by the “accusations that have been hurled against me personally but also the attacks on the institution we hold sacred—the House of Representatives, the heart of our democracy, and the voice of the Filipino people.”