MANILA: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. once thundered at lawmakers: “Mahiya naman kayo!” — “Have some shame!”
The call helped trigger a probe, which has reached his own cousin, Martin Romualdez (ex-House Speaker), who has resigned, been detained while faces a plunder case over alleged kickbacks from infrastructure projects.
A court has also ordered his 90-day preventive suspension.
Romualdez is not alone.
A senator and a former senator are also detained as new evidence piled up. A congressman linked to the scandal has fled abroad.
But now, the storm has moved closer to the President.
His son, House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, 32, has been identified as the biggest recipient of "budget insertions" for public works in the proposed 2027 national budget, known as the General Appropriations Bill (GAB), now under Senate review.
Ilocos Norte 1st district, which Sandro represents, received ₱4.37 billion in proposed insertions, according to a watchdog finding reported by GMA Network.
Romualdez faces allegations of receiving ₱7.44 billion in kickbacks from flood-control and other projects funded from 2022 to 2025.
The big picture
The President’s 2025 State of the Nation rebuke was aimed at lawmakers.
It has since become a political weapon turned against the ruling family.
Sandro’s district initially had ₱400 million in Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects in the proposed 2027 budget.
