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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Baste Duterte's SALN tirade on Romualdez 'fabricated, hypocritical'

Baste Duterte's SALN tirade on Romualdez 'fabricated, hypocritical'

Published Sep 4, 2025 05:35 pm

At A Glance

  • Fabricated, hypocritical. That's how House of Representatives Spokesperson Princess Abante described Davao City Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte's remarks about House Speaker Martin Romualdez's statement of assets, liabilities and networth (SALN).
House Speaker Martin Romualdez (left), Davao City Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte (PPAB, Facebook)
House Speaker Martin Romualdez (left), Davao City Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte (PPAB, Facebook)


Fabricated, hypocritical.
That's how House of Representatives Spokesperson Princess Abante described Davao City Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte's remarks about House Speaker Martin Romualdez's statement of assets, liabilities and networth (SALN).
“Mayor Sebastian Duterte’s latest tirade is another baseless attempt to smear Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez. The figures he cites are nothing but absurd fabrications—proof once again of the Dutertes’ penchant for fake news," Abante said in a statement sent to reporters.
"What makes this even more ironic is that the Dutertes are known for keeping their own SALNs a closely guarded secret, refusing to make them public despite years in power. Now they dare lecture others about transparency? That is hypocrisy of the highest order," added the lawyer-spokesperson.
Mayor Duterte is the son of former president Rodrigo Duterte. The Dutertes are critics of the House and the Marcos administration in general.
The House statement came after Mayor Duterte alleged that Romualdez’s declared wealth in his SALN had surged from P200 million in 2022 to P3 billion in 2025. He called on the House Committee on Appropriations to launch an inquiry about it.
Abante insisted that Romualdez’s SALN was above board.
"The Speaker’s SALN, unlike theirs, is filed in accordance with law and open to proper scrutiny. If the Dutertes truly believe in accountability, they should start by releasing their own SALNs to the public, instead of inventing lies to cover up their own failures,” she said.
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