SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Monday dared former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his son, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, to make public any shred of proof and back up their allegations against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Romualdez, the leader of the 300-plus-strong House of Representatives, described the Dutertes’ claims as nothing more than “budol-budol” stories from Davao, saying they should refrain from making allegations that they cannot substantiate.
“So unless you have proof na ‘yung mga alegasyon ninyo na kung bakit nananawagan dyan na sa ating mahal na Presidente Ferdinand R. Marcos na bumaba sa pwesto sana mag isip-isip muna kayo, mag-isip muna kayo at ilabas ‘yung mga pruweba. Kasi alam natin hindi totoo ang mga sinasabi ninyo,” Romualdez said during the Party Leaders Caucus that started late Sunday night.
Mayor Duterte had earlier asked President Marcos — the president with the highest mandate in Philippine history with more than 31 million votes — to step down if he had no love and aspirations for the country.
Former president Duterte, meanwhile, made a wild accusation that the president is in the narco-list of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
“Uulitin ko, tigilan nyo na ‘yung mga budol-budol n’yo ‘di ba. Dapat seryoso na tayo at igalang na lang natin ang ating Presidente na nagtatrabaho ng maigi. Masipag sya at talagang tinatrabaho n’ya ‘yung magandang buhay para sa mga Pilipino,” Romualdez said.
“Sa pamilyang Duterte, siguro konting galang naman sa ating mahal na presidente tsaka sa pamilya n’ya. Noong panahon ng rehimen n’yo, iginalang naman kayo. Masyadong maaga naman ninyo gustong ipabagsak ang rehimen ng President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., very popular and he was elected with a bigger mandate than the former president. Kaya’t igalang naman natin ‘yan. ‘Yan po ang mandato ng taumbayan ng Pilipinas,” he said.
He vehemently denied both allegations of the elder Duterte and his son, saying nothing can be farther from the truth.
“Walang katotohanan ‘yan. Si Mr. former president sabi niya nasa drug list, na-check natin na never na never na si President Ferdinand R. Marcos ay nailagay sa drug list. Kaya hindi ko alam kung nag iisto-istorya ka na naman. Tigilian mo na ‘yung budol-budol galing sa Davao,” Romualdez stressed.
He called out the elder Duterte for making such an allegation against Marcos, a hardworking and immensely popular president, when he himself is facing criminal liability for acts done during his administration.
“Please lang dapat magkaisa ang buong Pilipinas. Baka meron kayong mga concern or issues na kailangang harapin mo ‘yung batas na baka nilabag mo noon sa administrasyon mo,” Romualdez said.
“Tigilan mo nalang ‘yan kasi ‘yung Presidente nagtatrabaho ng maigi at nakikita ng buong mundo nagkakaisa na ang Pilipinas, mukhang kayo lang dyan sa Davao ay gumagawa nalang ng mga istorya,” he added.
