Paolo Duterte: Making Romualdez a State Witness Is Like Letting a “Buwaya” Testify Against Its Own Kind

Leyte 1st District Representative and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez has named several personalities during his appearance before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) as a resource person amid the ongoing investigation into alleged anomalies in flood control projects nationwide.

According to ICI Executive Director Atty. Brian Hosaka, Romualdez discussed his role during his time as House Speaker and mentioned some of his colleagues who participated in crafting the national budget. Hosaka declined to identify them but confirmed they would be invited to future hearings.

Hosaka added that Romualdez voluntarily submitted his affidavit, which will be reviewed by the commission before he is called again for a succeeding session. Romualdez has strongly denied any involvement in the irregularities surrounding the multi-billion peso flood control projects.

Palace Press Officer Atty. Claire Castro stated that the Department of Justice (DOJ) would determine whether Representative Romualdez could qualify as a state witness in the corruption probe.

However, Davao City Representative Paolo Z. Duterte reacted sharply, calling the proposal “the biggest joke of the century.”

“You mean to tell the Filipino people that the one sitting at the top of the funding chains, the one whose name is whispered in every DPWH regional office, will suddenly turn state witness — against who, exactly? Himself?” Duterte said in a strongly worded statement.

He likened the move to “a crocodile volunteering to testify against other crocodiles after they’ve finished eating off the river,” saying it insults the intelligence of Filipinos.

“If the DOJ allows this, it’s clear that not only is the country flooded, but the government’s conscience is sinking too,” he added, criticizing what he described as the administration’s desperate attempts to cover up large-scale corruption.

Duterte also pointed to Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, whose construction firm Sunwest Construction and Development Corp. was earlier linked to the controversial flood control projects, questioning why authorities have yet to act against him.

He ended his statement with a grim warning:

“The ship is sinking — and it’s sinking fast. If nothing is done soon, there will be nothing left for the generations to come.”