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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Walang ebidensya': Acidre shuts down corruption narrative vs Romualdez

'Walang ebidensya': Acidre shuts down corruption narrative vs Romualdez

Published Nov 6, 2025 10:45 pm

At A Glance

  • Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre tried to knock sense into all those eagerly linking Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez to various allegations of corruption by underscoring one crucial factor.
Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre (left), Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez (PPAB)
Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre (left), Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez (PPAB)

Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre tried to knock sense into all those eagerly linking Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez to various allegations of corruption by underscoring one crucial factor.
For Acidre, the dearth of evidence against the former House Speaker is enough to shut down this narrative of corruption.
"Wala naman kasing ebidensya (There is no evidence) that directly imputes Martin Romualdez to all these controversies," Acidre told House of Representatives reporters on Thursday, Nov. 6.
"And I find it unfair language na (that) all of these puro (are all) speculations, para sa sabihin posible naman na hindi [niya alam] (for us to say that it's possible that he doesn't know)," he said of his province-mate, Romualdez.
Romualdez, the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) president, resigned from the top post in 300-plus strong House last Sept. 17. He did so even as he enjoyed the vast majority support of his congressman-colleagues.
The reason for his resignation? Romualdez sought to give the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) the leeway it needed to investigate House members' alleged involvement in the flood control projects corruption scandal.
Meanwhile, the affidavit of Orly Guteza--the only person to claim that Romualdez received kickbacks from flood control projects--has already been discredited by investigating authorities. For his part, the Leyte solon has denied all allegations of payouts.
"We cannot make a judgment on the basis of speculations. We have to show evidence," stressed Acidre.
"And siguro (perhaps) until such time that they are able… I would rather that people hold their judgment on the person because sabi nga natin (like what we say), he has also done so much good for the country, especially during his tenure as Speaker of the House," he added.
Aside from the first two months of the 20th Congress, Romualdez also served as House Speaker during the previous 19th Congress, which was marked by the prolific legislative output from the lower chamber.
The 19th Congress represented the first three years of the Marcos administration; during these three years, there was a total of 64 Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) measures. The House of Representatives, under Romualdez's leadeeship, has approved 61 LEDAC bills. 
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