The Koalisyong Makabayan warned Monday that the arrests of former Speaker Martin Romualdez and ex‑House Appropriations Chair Zaldy Co must not be treated as the end of the corruption probe.
The coalition said holding the two lawmakers solely responsible for alleged anomalies in “budget modernization” is a “convenient fiction” that shields President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whom they accuse of being the real mastermind.
Makabayan cited testimonies implicating not only Romualdez and House leaders but also the President and his officials in what it described as a web of corruption, misuse of funds, and plunder.
“No Speaker moves without the marching orders of the sitting President,” the group stressed, noting Romualdez’s close ties as Marcos’s cousin and ally.
The bloc denounced what it called a “classic sacrificial offering” — throwing high‑profile names to the wolves to create the perception of justice while Malacañang remains untouched.
“Justice must climb higher — to the President himself and every official who signed, approved, and benefited from the anomalies,” Makabayan declared. “The people demand accountability, not scapegoats.” # (RRN)
