Leyte: Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Monday described the privilege speech of Senator Francis Escudero as a political maneuver aimed at alignment with Vice President Sara Duterte for the 2028 elections. Escudero accused Romualdez of orchestrating what he called a ‘script and sarswela (dramatics)’ to divert public outrage over ghost and substandard flood control projects away from the House of Representatives and toward senators.

According to Philippines News Agency, Romualdez stated in a press release that Escudero’s speech was akin to a “DDS (Digong Duterte Supporters) script,” reiterating accusations that have circulated on troll pages and social media posts. Romualdez dismissed these as recycled claims lacking truth and novelty.

Romualdez asserted that the speech was crafted to display loyalty to Duterte as part of Escudero’s positioning for 2028. He claimed that the performance was intended to show allegiance to Vice President Sara Duterte and position Escudero as her ally for the upcoming election, suggesting that Escudero’s actions served personal political interests rather than the truth.

Romualdez expressed his readiness to face any impartial investigations, asserting that he has nothing to hide. He emphasized his willingness to cooperate with investigations and maintained confidence in his record.

Romualdez also criticized Escudero for allegedly deflecting attention from the issues at hand. He accused Escudero of not addressing serious questions and failing to deny allegations against him, including his supposed involvement in flood-control kickbacks. Romualdez suggested that the senator’s speech focused more on political ambition than accountability.

In response, Escudero, during a plenary session, argued that senators were being unfairly targeted. He questioned the likelihood of no communication with any congressman and suggested that the intent was to focus media and public scrutiny on senators while diverting attention from the House of Representatives.

Escudero alleged that Romualdez was behind the scheme, referencing testimony from retired Philippine Marines Master Sgt. Orly Guteza, who claimed to have delivered substantial cash sums to Romualdez’s residences. Escudero warned against the Senate being maligned and vowed to oppose what he termed selective justice.