Former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Monday denied Vice President Sara Duterte’s allegations linking him to illegal gambling and supposed cash deliveries, calling the claims baseless and fabricated.
“Naririnig ko ang mga akusasyon. Diretsahan kong sasabihin: hindi totoo na ako’y tumatanggap mula sa ilegal na sugal (I heard the accusations. Directly, I would say: It’s not true that I was receiving money from illegal gambling),” Romualdez said. He described the stories about “suitcases of cash” as “pure fiction” aimed at damaging his reputation.
“Lahat guni-guni. Madaling magturo, madaling mag-imbento — pero ang katotohanan, hindi kayang patunayan. Until today, wala pa ring ipinakitang ebidensya — puro sabi-sabi lang na inuulit-ulit (It’s easy to finger-point, it’s easy to invent — but the truth is — it can’t be proven. Until today, there is still no evidence shown – it’s all hearsay said over and over again),” he added.
Romualdez also criticized Vice President Duterte, saying it was unfortunate that she, facing her own political challenges, is spreading “lies.”
“When the source itself has lost credibility, why should anyone believe these baseless claims?” he said.
