Former Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero Expresses Side over Flood Control Corruption Accusations vs. Senators
CHIZ ESCUDERO – The former Senator slammed presidential cousin and Leyte Congressman Martin Romualdez over the flood control mess.
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives have a change in their leaderships amid the flood control issue in the Philippines. Escudero was ousted and replaced by Senate Pres. Tito Sotto after he admitted to receiving a P30-million campaign donation from one of the contractors cited by President Bongbong Marcos.
According to the contractor linked to Sen. Chiz Escudero, his P30-million campaign donation was his own money and not from the construction company tied to him. He also revealed that his brothers are mayor and councilor in Sorsogon.
Escudero previously claimed that he and the contractor are long-time friends and both of them are from Sorsogon. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) clarified that candidates of an election are prohibited to receive donations from contractors with an active contract with the government.
Aside from Escudero who was the Senate president then, senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva are also accused of allegedly receiving kickbacks from the flood control projects funded by the government. The accusation was made by dismissed Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineer Brice Hernandez.
Both Estrada and Villanueva denied the accusations. They are willing to open their bank accounts amid the flood control issue. Recently, a former DPWH Undersecretary, Roberto Bernardo, accused Sen. Chiz Escudero of allegedly receiving around P160 million kickback from flood control projects.
In his reaction to the recent accusation against him, Escudero asked for the involvement of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Zaldy Co in the flood control mess. He believes that it is allegedly “impossible” that the two (2) congressmen are not involved in the issue.
Recently, Sen. Chiz Escudero delivered a lengthy message wherein he slammed former House Speaker Martin Romualdez over the flood control corruption accusations against him and his fellow senators. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, he accused the Leyte Congressman of allegedly mastermind the accusations against the senators.
Escudero called the current happenings over the flood control issue as supposedly the ‘script and zarzuela’ made by Romualdez. According to him, there were already talks about the presidential Cousin and now the Filipinos are starting to shout his name.
“Iisang tao lamang ang nasa likod ng script at sarswelang ito. Siya ang dahilan ng kaguluhan, pag-aaway, pagkakawatak-watak na ngayo’y yumayanig sa ating bayan maprotektahan lamang ang sarili niya. Ang pangalan niya ay matagal nang bulung-bulungan sa bawat sulok ng bansa pero ngayon unti-unting nang sinisigaw ng taumbayan,” the former Senate President said.
Sen. Chiz Escudero claimed that it is allegedly doubtful why despite of all the allegations of corruption hurled against him, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez is still not part of the investigation of the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). Based on the report, he stressed that Romualdez is still able to do what he wants.
“Ganito ba katindi ang kapangyarihang hawak ni Martin Romualdez, na bagaman hindi siya speaker, tila ‘the name that cannot be mentioned’ pa din siya, at nagagawa pa rin niya ang nais niya kaugnay sa isang mapamiling hustisya o selective justice,” Escudero said.
Sen. Chiz Escudero claimed that the senators are allegedly made as the “fall guy” and the diversionary tactic amid the flood control issue to supposedly drive away the mess from the ones who are really responsible. Amid the issue, the DOJ confirmed that Escudero and the other senators may face prosecution.