President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. opened his fifth and penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 27, with an unusually pointed rebuke of his own cousin, former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, as he intensified his administration's campaign against corruption in the flood control projects scandal.

Speaking before Congress at the Batasang Pambansa, Marcos said an initial batch of contractors, senior officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and lawmakers have already been charged and detained over the anomalies. He added that, based on information from the Office of the Ombudsman, multiple cases are also expected to be filed soon against Romualdez.

"Dumating na tayo sa punto na ayon sa Ombudsman, ay malapit na ang paghahain ng patong-patong na kaso laban sa dating Speaker. Masakit man sa akin ito, ngunit kailangan nating gawin ang tama. Hindi ako Pangulo ng aking pamilya. Hindi ako Pangulo ng aking kaibigan. Ako ay Pangulo ng Pilipinas at ang tungkulin ko ay sa inyo, ang aking mga kapwa Pilipino," PBBM said.

(We have reached a point where, according to the Ombudsman, multiple cases are about to be filed against the former Speaker. This pains me, but we need to do what is right. I am not the president of my family. I am not the president of my friend. I am the President of the Philippines, and my duty is to you, my fellow Filipinos.)

Ombudsman names Romualdez "central figure"

The President's remarks followed an Ombudsman finding that identified Romualdez as the "central figure" in the multibillion-peso flood control corruption scheme. 

Romualdez, who resigned as House Speaker after being implicated in the scandal, has denied any wrongdoing. His close ally, former Ako Bicol Representative Elizaldy "Zaldy" Co, who is now in hiding abroad, has accused both Romualdez and Marcos himself of masterminding the insertion of flood control kickbacks into the 2025 national budget — allegations both men have denied.

Despite the Ombudsman's finding, no formal case had been filed against Romualdez as of SONA day, even as other officials tied to the scandal have already been charged, arrested, or detained. 

These include Co, who faces malversation and graft charges filed in November 2025; contractor Sarah Discaya and several DPWH officials, charged in December; former Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., charged in January 2026; and Senator Jinggoy Estrada and former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, who were slapped with plunder and graft charges in May over an alleged ₱573-million kickback scheme. 

Estrada and Revilla are both currently detained at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas, the designated facility for those accused in the flood control cases.

A year after "Mahiya naman kayo"

Monday's SONA marked one year since Marcos first drew national attention to the flood control mess in his 2025 address, when he ordered a government-wide investigation into substandard and "ghost" flood control projects and famously admonished corrupt officials to "have some shame" — a line that helped trigger the sprawling probe now underway. 

In this year's speech, Marcos said his administration had conducted a thorough and impartial investigation and had "followed where the evidence pointed," resulting in the cases already filed against contractors, DPWH officials, and lawmakers.

A Pulse Asia survey conducted in late June, ahead of the address, found that the fight against corruption, particularly accountability for the flood control scandal — was the issue Filipinos most wanted Marcos to address in his fifth SONA, ahead of concerns over the cost of basic goods.

Romualdez: 'Wala akong ginawang labag sa batas'

In a statement issued after Marcos' SONA, Romualdez said he respected the President's remarks but maintained that he never sought favors or special treatment.

"Masakit man ito sa aming pamilya, iginagalang ko ang naging pahayag ng Pangulo. Hindi ako kailanman humingi ng pabor o espesyal na pagtrato. Sang-ayon ako na gawin natin ang tama. Ang tama ay ang sumunod sa proseso at hayaan ang ebidensya ang magsalita. Naninindigan akong wala akong ginawang anumang labag sa batas. At handa akong patunayan ito," Romualdez said.

(This pains our family, but I respect the President's statement. I never asked for any favor or special treatment. I agree that we should do what is right. What is right is to follow the process and let the evidence speak. I maintain that I have not done anything illegal. And I am prepared to prove this.)

Romualdez called on the public to let due process run its course and to let the evidence speak for itself.

Wider political backdrop

This year's SONA unfolded against a tense political backdrop. The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, which began on July 6, is ongoing in the Senate. 

Former President Rodrigo Duterte, meanwhile, remains in the custody of the International Criminal Court over crimes against humanity charges, with his trial set to begin in late November 2026, a case stemming from his administration's drug war and one of the more consequential moves of Marcos' presidency to date.

With two years left in his term, Marcos faces pressure to show concrete results from the flood control probe rather than promises, as members of the public and opposition lawmakers alike have noted that key figures like Co and Romualdez have yet to face formal charges more than a year after the scandal broke.

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