Sara Duterte drops bombshell: Marcos cousin Romualdez accused of gambling kickbacks

Manila: Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte has accused former House Speaker Martin Romualdez of pocketing money not just from fake or substandard flood-control projects, but also from online gambling.

Addiction to online gambling has sparked concerns, though gambling addiction is not yet officially recognised as a "public health issue" in the southeast Asian nation. 

Bombshell statement

The vice president's statement lands as the most explosive charge yet, ripping through Manila’s fractured power circles, with heavyweights like Romualdez, Rep. Zaldy Co of AKO Bicol, the former Appropriations Committee chief, and a roster of senators dragged into the widening flood scam.

Romualdez is a cousin of President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr., who has promised no one will be "spared" from the anti-corruption probe.

Marcos Jr and Sara Duterte ran together under the same "Uniteam" party in 2022, with Romualdez are their chief campaigner.

The Marcos-Duterte alliance, a team of so-called "nepo babies" from both the Philippines bloc-voting "Solid North" (Marcos bailiwick) and South (Duterte stronghold) crushed the opposition led by former vice president Leni Robredo, soon unravelled over major disagreements, notably on drugs and corruption.

In March, the Marcos government ordered the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte and immediately flew him to The Hague, over charges of summary execution linked to the so-called "drug war".

"It's not just flood control Ma'am, but also online gambling," Duterte told local media on Monday (September 29, 2025)."

Asked about the source or evidence of her statement, Sara Duterte said someone from Romualdez's own office told her about it.

The vice president, who appeared composed during the Monday press interview, now warns that Marcos Jr.’s government is teetering, its “stability” shattered by the avalanche of abuses laid bare in ongoing probes.

Notably many of those implicated in the abuses and kickbacks scam, are known allies of Duterte including minority Senators Francis "Chiz" Escudero (who recently lost his Senate presidency), Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada as well as former Senators Nancy Binay and Bong Revilla.

Experts point to a growing crisis, as online gambling addiction has emerged as a “mental health crisis”.