manilastandard.net
@ManilaStandardPH
@mnlstandardph
@ManilaStandardYT
@manilastandard
Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net . For advertisement: email: advertise@manilastandard.net •09173382170 / 85646229
I won’t be a scapegoat for acts I did not commit — Romualdez By Maricel V. Cruz and Rex Espiritu
VOL. XL • NO. 67 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2026 •
‘VP Sara impeach trial to proceed forthwith’ Sotto: Impeachment court may convene by May 5
“I WILL not be a scapegoat.” Thus declared former Speaker and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez as he vowed not allow himself to be used as the fall guy in the ongoing flood control controversy. Meanwhile, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday said Romualdez was barred from leaving the country purportedly to seek medical check-up in Singapore. In another development, former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III cautioned prosecutors against filing cases without solid proof, stressing that “the mere passing of a bill into a law cannot be a crime” and that liability must be anchored on evidence tied to implementation. At the same time, Romualdez also moved to open his records to the public and challenged
By Ram Superable and Maricel Cruz
T
Next page
investigators to pursue the full chain of accountability. “I will not be a scapegoat for actions I did not commit,” Romualdez said, breaking weeks of silence. “The truth is not afraid of scrutiny—and neither am I,” he stressed. Romualdez authorized the public release of his sworn affidavit and Next page
Iran a no-show in Islamabad as truce nears end
HE Senate as an impeachment court may start trial as early as midMay as the leader of the Upper Chamber vowed to act “definitely forthwith” on the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte once these are transmitted by the House of Representatives. “I will act on it with dispatch. Definitely forthwith. As soon as the Senate receives it, I will inform the Senate and refer it to the Committee on Rules,” Senate President Vicente Sotto III said. Sotto said if the House submits the articles of impeachment on May 4, the Senate could convene as an impeachment court as early as the following day. “Let’s say we convene by May 5. I think we could prepare for the trial in a matter of two weeks, more or less two weeks,” he said. “Probably we can call for a caucus before the session starts. Before May 4, perhaps on the first weekend of May, so that we can hear what our colleagues have to say,” Sotto added. A member of the House Committee on Justice over the weekend said the panel is targeting to conclude its
Former Speaker Martin Romualdez
UPLIFT. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. presides over the UPLIFT Committee meeting where measures were further intensified in response to the impact of high oil prices. PCO
Gov’t cushions war impact thru jobs, fuel stability By Charles Dantes THE government is prioritizing job generation and fuel supply stability as it weighs additional measures to cushion the economy from global energy shocks, a Palace official said Tuesday following a high-level meeting on economic interventions. Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire
Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized expanding employment opportunities for Filipinos during the UPLIFT meeting, while also directing energy officials to ensure an uninterrupted supply of petroleum products. Castro said the President underscored the need to prevent supply disruptions that could worsen inflation already driven by tensions in
the Middle East. “The President is insisting that the supply of crude oil or petroleum products to us not be interrupted because the President does not want stagnation,” Castro said, noting that sustained fuel supply is critical to avoiding a broader economic slowdown.
VP Sara’s SALNs, bank records focus of today’s impeach hearing Mayor Leni won’t run for national
Next page
IRAN said Tuesday it has not yet sent a delegation for new peace talks with the United States, as the temporary ceasefire which paused the Middle East war was set to expire. “So far, no delegation from Iran has departed for Islamabad, Pakistan; whether it is the main or subsidiary delegation; primary or secondary,” Iranian state TV said, dismissing reports suggesting otherwise. Iran and the US have accused each other of breaching the two-week truce that is set to end by Wednesday, as uncertainty grows over a push to stop the war from resuming. The truce theoretically ends overnight Tuesday, though in comments to Bloomberg, Trump said the end was a day later, on Wednesday evening Washington time Next page
ICC TO DECIDE ON RODY TRIAL NEWS / A3
GALVEZ RESIGNS, SARMIENTO IN NEWS/ A3
post in 2028, will seek reelection
By Maricel V. Cruz FINANCIAL documents, tax records, and bank transactions of Vice President Sara Duteret are expected to take center stage in today’s impeachment hearing as lawmakers shift focus from testimonial evidence to a paper trail in determining probable cause, House Committee on Public Accounts chairperson Terry Ridon said.
‘Pinoys divided over impeachment raps’ NEWS / A3
By Rolando Ng III NAGA Mayor and former vice president Leni Robredo on Tuesday said she won’t run for a national post in the 2028 elections, as she will “most probably” seek a second mayoral term. During an interview over RMN-DWNX, the mayor said that she will place Naga as her priority in expressing her desire for reelection.
“I am sure with myself that I will not go for national. In my opinion, considerably we will achieve what has already been set, but beyond that, there is much that needs to be done,” Robredo said in mixed Filipino, Bicolano, and English. “The three years, that is just brief for me. It is very frustrating that I cannot rush what I want to do because I Naga Mayor Leni Robredo
Next page
DOJ chief off to Prague to work on Co’s return
“The next hearing will be more difficult because there will be no star witness. Personalities will no longer be the focus—the documents themselves will do the talking,” Ridon said. Officials from the Office of the Ombudsman, Securities and Exchange Commission, Bureau of Internal Revenue, and Anti-Money Laundering Council are expected to Next page
By Rolando Ng III and Charles Dantes JUSTICE Secretary Fredderick Vida said he was set to fly to the Czech Republic within the week to meet with his counterpart official in Prague for the eventual repatriation of former lawmaker Zaldy Co. Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the government would ensure Co’s safety if he re-
turns to the country. Vida noted that the Czech Republic and the Philippines are signatories to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, an agreement among countries for international cooperation to fight global corruption. The Justice chief will be accompanied during the trip by Chief State Counsel Dennis Chan, to tackle repatriation among other legal options being eyed by the government. Next page
EALA IN TERNO. Tennis star Alex Eala wears a terno designed by her uncle, Rhett Eala, at the Laureus Awards at the historic Cibeles Palace in Madrid, Spain. (Story on A8) WTA/ IG