AI-Generated Video Spreads Disinformation on Ex-House Speaker Romualdez Allegations

An AI-generated video claiming former House Speaker Martin Romualdez denied being at the center of government corruption scandals and challenged the Senate to investigate him has been found to be false. The video, posted on July 15 by the Facebook page PolPolitika, has garnered over 2,100 reactions, 1,700 shares, and 700 comments. It appears to show Romualdez being interviewed onboard a ship, where he allegedly says, "To the Filipinos who aren’t letting this issue go, haven’t you thought about it? It’s impossible that I approved the budget. It’s just common sense." He is further quoted as saying, "Why am I always the one tagged as the central figure in all of this? Invite me to the Senate. I’m not afraid of anyone." The video also reportedly shows Romualdez calling out Senators Vicente Sotto III and Panfilo Lacson, as well as the Tulfo brothers, challenging the upper chamber to invite him to their hearings on alleged corruption in flood control projects. Many social media users believed the post, with some urging the former House speaker to appear before the Senate while others called on Romualdez to drop the names of those involved in the corruption system. However, Rappler's fact-check confirmed the video is AI-generated. Results from the AI video detection tool detectvideo.ai showed a 64% likelihood of AI generation tools being used with a high confidence level, and Humantext.pro also flagged it as AI-generated with a 72% rating. There are no reports from credible media outlets citing Romualdez as making the statements shown in the video. Romualdez has been implicated in corruption allegations, particularly concerning flood control ghost projects and budget insertion schemes. In November 2025, former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co released a video accusing Romualdez and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of being the masterminds behind insertions in the 2025 national budget. The Office of the Ombudsman has also tagged the Leyte representative as a "central figure" in the flood control corruption scandal. Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano stated on Monday, July 20, "Our investigation identifies former speaker Romualdez as the central figure in a scheme built on the diversion of public funds meant for flood control projects — funds that were supposed to shield Filipino communities from the very floods that, year after year, take their homes, their livelihoods, and too often, their lives." The former House speaker has repeatedly asserted his innocence. While he did not attend Senate hearings on the budget corruption controversy, he has denied the allegations against him and insisted that he will not allow himself to be a "fall guy." Romualdez is currently under a precautionary hold departure order along with other individuals allegedly involved in the corruption scandal. The US government has also canceled Romualdez's diplomatic and tourist/business visas. Earlier this year, the Court of Appeals ordered the freezing of assets linked to Romualdez.