Philstar
VP Sara backs ‘suitcases of money’ accusations vs Romualdez
Vice President Sara Duterte confirmed she was aware of alleged money deliveries in suitcases to former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, even before it became public.
She stated that discussions about these alleged deliveries have been ongoing since she and President Marcos assumed office.
The issue recently surfaced publicly due to a witness, former Philippine Marine Master Sergeant Orly Regala Guteza, claiming to have personally delivered suitcases containing millions of pesos to the residences of resigned Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co and Romualdez.
Guteza claimed he personally delivered 46 Rimowa luggage bags, each containing P48 million, calling the cash "basura" or trash, allegedly illegal proceeds from flood control projects.
The Vice President backed these claims, stating that they fit previous reports of Romualdez accepting bribes.
Duterte also referenced a case in the State of Delaware, USA, where Romualdez's name was reportedly mentioned in connection with receiving money in luggage.
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See how different news organizations are covering this story. Below are the original articles from various Philippine news sources that contributed to this summary.
Vice President Sara Duterte alleged that former House Speaker Martin Romualdez received kickbacks from government flood control projects, corroborating claims made by a former security consultant.
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A former Philippine Marine and security consultant, Orly Regala Guteza, testified before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, claiming to have personally delivered suitcases of cash, referred to as "basura," to the residences of Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
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A former security consultant for Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co alleged that suitcases containing approximately P48 million each were delivered to Co and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
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Senator Francis Escudero accused former House Speaker Martin Romualdez of misusing "for later release" (FLR) funds and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s name to advance an impeachment complaint against the Vice President.
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