Senator Rodante Marcoleta has urged the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to summon former House Speaker and Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez to testify in the ongoing flood control scandal probe, saying Romualdez himself has signaled he is “ready to talk.”

Marcoleta, who previously chaired the Blue Ribbon panel, said Romualdez’s recent public statements suggest he knows more about the alleged anomalies than he has admitted. “It is very clear, in the public statement of former Speaker Martin Romualdez, that he’s ready to talk. Call now. I just don’t understand what the chairman of the BRC wants to do,” Marcoleta said in a radio interview.

Romualdez has been linked to alleged irregularities in flood control projects, with former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co claiming that public funds were pocketed through ghost projects. In a video statement last week, Romualdez denied being the mastermind, declaring: “I will not allow myself to be turned into the scapegoat. I will not be the fall guy for other people’s corruption.”

Marcoleta argued that Romualdez’s phrasing implied knowledge of who the real mastermind might be. “When he made a public statement saying, ‘How can I be the mastermind?’ Just by asking that question, it seemed like he knew who the mastermind was,” Marcoleta said. He added that Romualdez did not categorically deny involvement, only distancing himself from being the central figure.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, who chairs the Blue Ribbon Committee, responded by stressing the importance of inter-parliamentary courtesy. He explained that invitations to congressmen must be coursed through the Speaker of the House, though lawmakers are free to volunteer to appear. Lacson noted that Romualdez had already been invited twice but failed to attend hearings in November 2025 and January 2026.

The Blue Ribbon panel is investigating allegations that billions of pesos in flood control funds were diverted through anomalous projects. Marcoleta believes Romualdez’s testimony could shed light on the scheme and identify key players. “He should be summoned now,” Marcoleta insisted.

The controversy continues to intensify as the Senate prepares to resume hearings, with Lacson expected to release a progress report to aid the Department of Justice and the Ombudsman in building cases against those implicated.

This latest call underscores growing pressure on Romualdez to face the Senate inquiry and clarify his role in one of the most high-profile corruption scandals in recent years.