FACT CHECK: Martin Romualdez did not apologize to Duterte family

Claim: Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez issued a statement apologizing to the Duterte family and declaring that he will “reveal everything he knows.”

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: Multiple copies of this claim are going viral on social media, featuring an alleged quote card of Romualdez stating that:

“Hinihiling ko ang inyong kapatawaran. Gusto kong humingi ng sorry sa pamilya Duterte dahil sila ang nadidiin, kahit alam kong puro kabutihan ang ginagawa nila sa bansa. Mali ako na hinayaan kong manaig ang kasamaan, greed for money. 

Kaya ngayon, bilang ganti, isisiwalat ko ang lahat ng nalalaman ko. Kahit idiin nila ako, merong mas mataas na nagdidikta. At alam kong alam niyo na ‘yun. Sa tamang lugar, isisiwalat ko ang lahat.”

(I ask for your forgiveness. I want to apologize to the Duterte family because they are the ones being pinned down, even though I know they have done nothing but good for the country. I was wrong to allow evil and greed for money to prevail.

So now, in return, I will reveal everything I know. Even if they pin the blame on me, there is someone higher up who is dictating things. And I know you already know who that is. In the proper venue, I will reveal it all.)

Reposters are sharing this as a fact, causing confusion and spreading misinformation among those viewing and commenting on the posts.

The facts: Romualdez denied ever making these statements. In a post on his official Facebook page, he clarified that the circulating claim of him apologizing to the Duterte family is “fake news.”

“Huwag magpaloko sa mga nagpapakalat ng maling impormasyon. I-verify muna bago maniwala at mag-share,” the post warned. (Do not be fooled by those spreading false information. Verify first before believing and sharing)

The fabricated statement surfaced shortly after Romualdez released a video on April 21, addressing his alleged involvement in the P560-billion flood control scandal. In the video, he was far from apologizing, but instead adopted a defiant tone:

“I will not allow myself to be turned into the scapegoat in this flood control mess… I will not be the fall guy for other people’s corruption,” he asserted. The fake quote card attempts to frame Romualdez as a “whistleblower.”

Flight allegations: In reality, Romualdez is currently facing a Precautionary Hold Departure Order (PHDO) issued by the Sandiganbayan on April 22, which prevents him from leaving the country while the Office of the Ombudsman investigates charges of plunder and graft.

Romualdez’s spokesperson clarified that the lawmaker had secured travel authority for a medical check-up in Singapore well before the PHDO was issued.
Flood control scandal: The Ombudsman and the Senate blue ribbon committee have alleged that Romualdez used his previous influence as House speaker to oversee a commission system in the flood control scandal.

He argued that as speaker, he did not handle the technical implementation of the budget. He specifically named former Ako Bicol Partylist representative and former House appropriations chair Zaldy Co and former Senate president Chiz Escudero as the ones who were actually instrumental in the final budget decisions at the bicameral level.
Malacañang has distanced from the issue. On April 23, the Palace said that President Bongbong Marcos did not think the insinuations in Romualdez’s remarks were directed at him. – Princess Leah Sagaad/Rappler.com

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