Toby Tiangco claims Pres. Bongbong Marcos confronted Martin Romualdez over alleged diversion of public funds

Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco has claimed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. once confronted his cousin, Leyte Representative and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, over allegations that public funds were being pocketed and diverted to favored projects.

In a television interview, Tiangco alleged that Marcos questioned Romualdez about the supposed misuse of unprogrammed funds, which were allegedly funneled to projects linked to Romualdez and then Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co.

“Ilang bahay ba ang… Martin, kayo ni Zaldy, ilang bahay ba ang gusto n’yo sa Forbes Park? Gaano karaming eroplano, helicopter?” Tiangco said, quoting what he claimed Marcos told Romualdez.

“Gaano karaming caviar kaya n’yo kainin? Ilang Ferrari gusto n’yo?” he added.

According to Tiangco, the President allegedly ordered Romualdez to return the money to the unprogrammed funds. He claimed, however, that the directive was never carried out.

“Ang problema kasi ang impression kay Presidente masyadong mabait e,” Tiangco said when asked why Romualdez supposedly ignored the President’s order.

“Mabait siya even… tingnan mo lang ha, in one interview, he said he was so mad pero iba iyong pag tayo iyong nagsabi ‘I’m so mad.’ Pero iyong sa kanya, ‘I’m so mad’ pero para sa kanya iba e, mabait e,” he added.

Tiangco further claimed that from 2022 to 2025, real power in the House of Representatives was heavily centralized under Romualdez because of his close familial ties to the President.

“Ito ang first time na nagkaroon ng Speaker na pinsang buo. So kung may sinabi ang Speaker sa isang congressman na ganito, pwede mo ba tanungin yung Presidente na—Sir, na-clear ba ‘to sa inyo? Sino ang maglalakas ng loob, ’di ba?” Tiangco said.

“Kung hindi siya kamag-anak ng Presidente, they will have the courage to clear it with the President,” he added.

The Navotas lawmaker also claimed that surveys conducted ahead of the 2025 senatorial elections showed Romualdez as a major factor behind the decline in Marcos’ approval ratings.

“Pero doon pa lang, nakikita na ang nagpapababa sa ratings niya, si Martin,” Tiangco said, adding that the President was allegedly aware of this.

As of this writing, Romualdez and Malacañang have yet to issue a response to Tiangco’s claims.