GRAFT and falsification complaints have been filed against House Speaker Martin Romualdez and several lawmakers before the Office of the Ombudsman over alleged ₱241 billion worth of “insertions” in the 2025 national budget.
Former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, and PDP-Laban senatorial candidates Atty. Jimmy Bondoc and Atty. Raul Lambino—known allies of former President Rodrigo Duterte—led the filing of 12 counts of falsification of legislative documents and graft charges against Romualdez. The complaint also implicates:
House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe
Former House Appropriations Chair and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co
Acting Appropriations Committee Chair Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo
Additionally, two unidentified individuals, listed as “John Does,” face similar charges for alleged violations of Article 170 of the Revised Penal Code and Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act).
Budget Legality Disputed
Rep. Stella Quimbo has defended the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), asserting that all budget allocations were finalized by the Bicameral Conference Committee before the House and Senate ratified the measure. She emphasized that any post-ratification changes made by technical staff were only ministerial, describing them as “calculator activity.”
Supreme Court Challenge
On January 27, former Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez and Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab petitioned the Supreme Court to declare Republic Act No. 12116 (2025 GAA) unconstitutional.
The controversy began after Duterte and Ungab, a former appropriations panel chair, flagged blank line items in the 2025 budget, sparking allegations of unauthorized insertions and irregularities.
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