Romualdez an “embarrassment for PH on the global stage”

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Duterte made the statement in a press conference on Friday, October 18, 2024.

“On record, on paper with suhol. Nakakahiya,” Duterte added.

She declined to divulge more information about the matter, but promised to talk more about it in the coming weeks.

Earlier, Duterte said Romualdez, a cousin of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Ako Bicol, Zaldy Co Party-list representative, were manipulating the national government’s budget, which was one of her reasons for resigning as government secretary. Department of Education, as well as the Vice President of the Anti-Insurgency Task Force.

Before that, Romualdez apparently took a jab at Duterte as he called out government officials misusing public funds.

The proposed budget allocation of P2,026,357,000 for the OVP under the National Expenditure Program (NEP) 2025 was reduced to P733,198,000.

This came as Duterte refused to answer questions during the budget deliberations on how his office spent its funds, especially its P125 Confidential and Intelligence Fund (CIF) for 2022, which was used in a period of only 11 days.

Duterte said the Lower House is politicizing the budget. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)