By Raffy Gutierrez
When Speaker Martin Romualdez announced his resignation, his loyalists rushed to paint him as a “statesman” making a noble sacrifice. Editorials and opinion pieces branded it as an act of unity, restraint, and stability. But let us not be fooled. A resignation letter is not an act of accountability—it is political theater. And if President BBM is truly serious about cleaning up the government, mere resignations will not cut it.
What we need is a full lifestyle check, mandatory submission of Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), and complete disclosure of bank records. These are not extraordinary requests—they are basic instruments of transparency. In the private sector, this is standard due diligence. Yet in our government, they act as if such scrutiny is optional, something to be dodged with grand speeches and photo ops.
If evidence is uncovered that Martin Romualdez enriched himself under his watch, then he must be punished like any ordinary Filipino facing charges. Resignation should not become a shield from the law. Real accountability demands consequences—something Marcos Jr. has consistently failed to deliver.
To call Romualdez a “firewall” for BBM is a laughable insult to the intelligence of the Filipino people. He is not a firewall; he is one of the root causes of corruption in Congress. Under his leadership, the House of Representatives has become a breeding ground for budget manipulation, pork barrel reincarnations, and ghost projects. The flood control scandal alone reeks of systematic abuse, and to this day, the Marcos administration has failed to make heads roll.
Instead of defending him, we should be asking: how much public money slipped through the cracks while he held the gavel? How many “priority projects” were inflated or left unfinished? Romualdez was not a passive observer—he was at the center of legislative maneuvering that enabled this culture of impunity.
And while allies scramble to polish his image, what do we see? His close friend, Congressman Zaldy Co, conveniently flies abroad for a medical check-up. How ironic—how disgraceful—that while ordinary Filipinos cannot even afford basic healthcare, powerful congressmen use public funds and influence to seek treatment overseas. This is not just a personal decision; it is a stark symbol of privilege, arrogance, and disconnect from the very people they are supposed to serve.
Let us be clear: resignation and medical leave are not accountability. They are escape routes. They are tactics to buy time and avoid the scrutiny of a public already tired of excuses. BBM’s silence on these matters proves once again that his so-called “Bagong Pilipinas” is nothing more than a recycled slogan.
If the President truly wanted to prove himself different from past leaders, he should have ordered immediate investigations, not just allowed choreographed exits. Why is there no independent congressional probe into the misuse of billions in public funds? Why are lifestyle checks not mandatory for every lawmaker implicated? The truth is simple: because it would implicate those closest to him. His new commission to investigate these atrocities is commendable but borderline laughable. Why? It’s ironic that he formed an investigation committee to address corruption almost four years in office when in his first day in office he abolished the Presidential Anti Corruption Committee.
The Marcos loyalists now warn of impeachment “plots,” framing Romualdez as the only barrier protecting the President. This is fear-mongering at its finest. A firewall? No. What Romualdez provided was cover for corruption, not protection for democracy. And the attempt to dress this up as statesmanship is nothing but smoke and mirrors.
Let us not normalize this cycle of “resign and walk away.” In the real world—especially in the private sector—ghost projects and misuse of funds trigger immediate action. CEOs are fired, board members investigated, and those proven guilty face legal consequences. That is how real accountability works. Why should government leaders be treated any differently?
The Filipino people deserve no less. The taxpayers whose money funded these ghost projects are not asking for political drama. They are demanding justice. They are demanding a system where no one is above the law—not even the President’s cousin.
And so we must call this out for what it is: a staged spectacle meant to distract, pacify, and protect the ruling clique. Sacrifice? No. This is survival. A cover-up in the guise of humility. To even make claims that this entire political charade was planned by the opposition in order to ensure BBM’s fiercest rival becomes President is pure craziness.
If BBM is truly serious about reform, he must tear down this culture of untouchability. Otherwise, he proves what many already suspect: that his administration is not an agent of change but merely another chapter in the long history of Philippine political deceit.
The people are no longer satisfied with half-measures, overseas trips, or carefully worded editorials. The people demand accountability. The people demand justice. The people demand that corruption be punished, not rewarded with graceful exits.
Because in the end, the true measure of leadership is not how much power you keep, or how elegantly you resign—it is how faithfully you protect the people’s trust. And right now, that trust is shattered.
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Rafael “Raffy” Gutierrez is a Technology Trainer with over 25 years of experience in networking, systems design, and diverse computer technologies. He is also a popular social media blogger well-known for his real-talk, no-holds-barred outlook on religion, politics, philosophy.
