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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. attends a meeting with officials of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Washington DC in April 2024. Next to him was then-House speaker Martin Romualdez, his first cousin.
HREP
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang could not confirm whether President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. remains in contact with his cousin, Rep. Martin Romualdez (Leyte).
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said she has not seen the two communicate since assuming her post.
“Sa aking personal na pagkakaalam, wala po akong nakita na sila po ay nag-usap,” Castro told reporters. (My personal knowledge, I have not seen them speak.)
Pressed on the matter, Castro repeated that she had not observed any meetings or exchanges between the president and Romualdez, a former House speaker being investigated for alleged involvment in the misese of public flood control funds.
“Wala po akong nakitang nag-meet sila, nagkausap sila. Wala po!” she said. (I have not seen them meet or talk. None!)
She declined to describe the state of their relationship.
“Wala po akong masasabi, hindi ko po sila nakikitang nag-uusap. Hindi ko rin po sila nakikitang nagko-communicate, so wala po akong masasabi patungkol diyan,” Castro added. (I have nothing to say. I do not see them talking or communicating, so I have nothing to say about that.)
Castro said she has not witnessed any interaction between the two since becoming Palace press officer in February 2025, months before the corruption scandal broke out in September.
Probe underway
The remarks came after Romualdez released a video denying involvement in alleged budget anomalies and rejecting attempts to make him a “fall guy” in the controversy.
Castro declined to comment on his statement but said the administration welcomes cooperation in ongoing investigations.
“ Kung ang pag-iimbestiga po ay makakatulong mismo ang dating speaker, mas gugustuhin po iyan ng pamahalaan, ng pangulo para managot ang dapat na managot,” she said. (If the former speaker can help in the investigation, the government and the president would prefer that so those responsible are held accountable.)
Responding to Romualdez’s assertion that responsibility lies with the executive branch, Castro said the president had already ordered an investigation when the alleged anomalies surfaced.
“Kapag sinabi po nating executive, hindi lamang po ang pangulo ang nasa executive,” she said. (When we say executive, it is not only the president who belongs to the executive.)
Castro also said the president does not view Romualdez’s remarks as assigning blame to him.
“Hindi ganoon ang tingin ng pangulo,” she said, adding that it is the president’s mandate to investigate and address irregularities in government. (The president does not see it that way.)
