Former Speaker Martin Romualdez should have heeded the invitations of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee last November and January to refute allegations linking him to the “mangling” of the 2025 national budget instead of issuing a video statement.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson pointed this out a day after Romualdez issued a video statement  denying involvement in the discussions on the 2025 budget, which has been described as “mangled beyond recognition.”

On Tuesday, Romualdez issued a video statement denying involvement in discussions on the 2025 budget, and ttributed the budget decisions and several questionable items in it to then Senate president Francis “Chiz” Escudero and former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co, who was then the head of the House Appropriations Committee. 

Romualdez insisted he was not part of the bicameral conference committee or the "small committee" that made changes to the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) after it was approved by the Senate and the House.

But Lacson said the blue ribbon committee issued at least two official invitations to Romualdez to testify on the budget controversy, which has been linked to anomalous flood control projects and other irregularities.

The latter, however, has not appeared in any of the hearings on the flood control controversy, particularly on Nov. 14, 2025 and Jan. 19, 2026.

According to Lacson, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee sent the invitations to Romualdez through the office of Speaker Faustino Dy III, in keeping with inter-parliamentary courtesy.

"The Blue Ribbon Committee gave the former speaker at least two chances through official invitations to testify under oath and public scrutiny to what may be his strong argument against allegations of masterminding the ‘mangling beyond recognition’ of the 2025 national budget during the bicameral conference, which he now claims to have been made by only two people - then SP (Senate President Francis) Chiz Escudero and ex Cong and House Appropriations Chairman (Elizaldy) Zaldy Co," Lacson said in a post on X.

https://x.com/iampinglacson/status/2046717201894547949

Lacson, who heads the blue ribbon panel, has repeatedly pushed for reforms in the budget process, including greater transparency especially at the bicameral conference stage.

Last year, Lacson voiced his support for Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian’s proposal to require the uploading of budget-related documents on government websites. 

Gatchalian presently heads the Senate Finance Committee which is in-charge of scrutinizing the government’s National Expenditure Program (NEP).

Lacson had also supported House appropriations committee chairperson Mikaela Angela Suansing’s push for budget reforms including the abolition of the so-called  “small committee.”