Imee Marcos calls looming cases vs Romualdez another ‘budol’

Senator Imee Marcos on Monday called President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s announcement that cases would soon be filed against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez as another “budol” (deception). “The President’s statement that the Ombudsman will soon file cases against former Speaker Martin Romualdez is yet another deception,” Imee Marcos said in a statement. The senator’s remarks came after the Presidential Communications Office (PCOO) denied that President Marcos announced that cases were impending against Romualdez. The PCOO clarified that when the President said “the Ombudsman will soon file cases,” he meant that “the Ombudsman is preparing to file cases” and not that “the President directly ordered the Ombudsman to file cases.” In Philippine politics, Senator Marcos and former Speaker Romualdez were once close allies, but political tensions have surfaced in recent years. Imee Marcos took a critical stance, particularly during the election of the Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2022, when Romualdez was re-elected. The use of the word “budol” by Senator Imee Marcos, which means “deception” or “scam” in Filipino slang, is a strong condemnation of actions that deceive the public. This incident suggests potential rifts within the Marcos administration and could impact future political developments. Information Source: Inquirer NewsInfo