Senator Escudero Condemns Attempts to Undermine Senate Integrity Amid Flood Control Scandal

In a recent Senate plenary session, Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero accused Leyte Representative and former Speaker Martin Romualdez of deliberately sowing discord among senators to protect himself from accountability in the ongoing multibillion-peso flood control scam. Escudero asserted that this manipulation has compromised the Senate’s integrity and diverted public scrutiny from the true culprits.

"Members of the Senate have been thrown off a cliff and before the court of public opinion in an attempt to mollify the people’s rage, thereby covering up the real perpetrators and giving them a chance to get away," Escudero said in his statement on Monday.

He highlighted the growing factionalism within political ranks, stating, "Are we not witnessing orchestrated conflicts? Citizens pitted against public servants; local officials against national officers; congressman against congressman; and now senator against senator."

Addressing allegations that he abused his then-position as Senate President to insert over PHP 142 billion worth of infrastructure projects into the 2025 budget, Escudero categorically denied such claims. The accusations originally surfaced following reports that exposed anomalies linked to the Department of Public Works and Highways’ flood mitigation projects—an issue now recognized as one of the most significant corruption scandals in the country.

Escudero criticized the handling of the scandal, describing it as an exercise in "selective justice and mob justice." He questioned whether the drive for transparency is genuine or merely a political tactic to find a convenient scapegoat to placate public outrage.

He expressed deep concern over the damage caused throughout the investigation, noting, "Reputations have been disparaged and tarnished, innocent persons have been implicated, and the Senate is slowly but surely being destroyed."

The senator appealed to his colleagues to prevent "justice from being weaponized in the pursuit of selective accountability," warning that such actions undermine public trust in the rule of law.

"I will not allow justice to be weaponized against the innocent to protect the guilty!" Escudero emphatically declared, underscoring his commitment to safeguarding fairness and institutional integrity amid the ongoing crisis.