Acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte accused House Speaker Martin Romualdez of a sudden surge in wealth, but the claim was quickly denied by the House of Representatives.
According to Duterte, Romualdez’s declared wealth reportedly grew to ₱3 billion this year from ₱200 million in 2022. He called on the House Committee on Appropriations to investigate the matter, alleging questionable gains reflected in the Speaker’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).
House spokesperson Atty. Princess Abante dismissed the allegations as baseless and absurd. She said the figures cited by Duterte were fabricated and had no grounding in official documents.
“These are pure fake news being spread by the Dutertes,” Abante said, stressing that Romualdez’s SALN was filed in accordance with the law and remains open for public scrutiny.
Abante also turned the criticism back on the Duterte family, accusing them of hypocrisy. She said the Dutertes have kept their own SALNs from the public during their years in power, raising questions about transparency.
