10/05/2026
The "Martin Looter Fund": 6 Shocking Realities of House Spending You Need to See
1. Introduction: The 200-Million-Peso-a-Day Disconnect
For the average Filipino, 1,000 pesos is a week of survival-mode groceries. 100,000 pesos is a life-saving hospitalization fund. To grasp the staggering scale of the House of Representatives' budget, consider this: one billion pesos could provide a family with a 25,000-peso monthly housing allowance for 3,333 years.
Yet, while citizens endure back-to-zero savings, the House under Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has transformed into a financial black box. An investigative exposé by CJ Hirro of the Peanut Gallery Media Network has unmasked the "Martin Looter Fund"—a systemic operation of budget padding and "phantom savings" that sees as much as 200 million pesos a day being moved through the House's internal machinery. This isn't just governance; it is a calculated drain on the national purse.
2. The "Syndicate" Structure: A Romualdez Family Affair
The investigation reveals a centralized power dynamic that effectively bypasses traditional checks and balances. The "holy grail" of House funds is the Accounts Committee, which controls internal spending on everything from repairs and construction to bonuses and equipment.
In a move that consolidates total fiscal control within a single household, Speaker Martin Romualdez entrusted the chair of this committee to his wife, Yeda Marie Romualdez (representing the Tingog Party List). The exposé pulls no punches, describing this arrangement as a "syndicate" that treats the House budget as a private family ledger.
"Martin Romualdez as House Speaker and Martin Romualdez as her husband together they ran that committee like a syndicate... the accounts committee is the holy grail for the corrupt."
By leveraging "fiscal autonomy," the Romualdez-led House ensures its billions are released automatically and regularly, regardless of performance, bypassing the scrutiny faced by every other executive agency.
3. "Liquidation by Certification": The 500-Million-Peso Loophole
How does the House spend billions without leaving a paper trail? The answer lies in Concurrent Resolution No. 10, a policy that allows for "liquidation by certification." Under this rule, lawmakers can spend public funds—specifically Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE)—without providing itemized receipts, invoices, or proof of delivery.
Instead of a traditional audit, members of Congress simply provide a "certification" stating "on their honor" that the funds were spent. While nominally intended for small operational expenses (around 500,000 pesos), the investigation shows this loophole is being used to mask hundreds of millions in spending. This "honor system" effectively bars the Commission on Audit (COA) from conducting transaction-based documentation, turning the House into a "black box" where ghost employees and personal consultants can be funded with a simple signature.
4. The 33-Billion-Peso Balloon: A Masterclass in Budget Padding
The House budget has seen an unprecedented, aggressive expansion. In 2020, the budget stood at 16.35 billion pesos. By 2025, it has ballooned to 33.67 billion pesos—a 106% increase in just five years. The investigation exposes a "Delta" of systemic padding, where the House asks for billions more than it actually spends, creating a massive slush fund of "phantom savings."
Consider the evidence of padding found in the COA actual spending records versus the 2025 budget requests:
* Utilities: The House requested 1.23 billion pesos for 2025. However, COA records show actual recorded spending is typically only 105 million to 125 million pesos. That is a 1.1 billion peso surplus hidden in a single line item, even as the House installs solar panels to "reduce" costs.
* Travel Expenses: The budget spiked to 2.58 billion pesos for 2025, despite actual historical spending hovering between 500 million and 560 million pesos.
* Supplies and Materials: Projected at 1.34 billion pesos for 2025, yet in 2024, the House had only spent 84.79 million pesos of its nearly billion-peso allocation by mid-year.
These aren't "savings"; they are over-appropriations designed to be realigned into the unscrutinized MOOE category.
5. The 2,000% PR Spike: A Taxpayer-Funded Shield for "Cowardice"
One of the most damning revelations is the explosion of the "Advertising and Promotions" budget. In 2022, this was a modest 28.6 million pesos. By 2025, it is projected to reach 639 million pesos.
The investigation suggests this funding isn't for the institution, but for "PR crisis management" to protect the Speaker's personal brand. CJ Hirro characterizes this as a "taxpayer-funded shield" for a leader who refuses to face the public directly.
"But did he not hire a spokesperson to face the media and the people on his behalf... a speaker who cannot speak for himself... not only did his Congress hire Princess Abante... he also hired Ace Barbers to be his personal spokesperson."
While the Speaker hides behind hired voices and social media influencers, the Filipino people are footed the bill for his personal branding.
6. The "Terminal Leave" Mystery: Preparing for an Exodus?
Perhaps the most suspicious anomaly is the allocation for "terminal leave benefits"—the cash value of unused leave for departing employees. While historically a minor contingent liability (38 million pesos in 2022), the allocation for 2026 has been set at a record-breaking 1.4 billion pesos.
The investigation asks a pointed question: Why is the House preparing for a mass departure? With the 2025 midterm elections approaching and mounting talk of impeachment complaints against the administration's rivals, the 1.4 billion peso "exodus fund" suggests a leadership that expects to lose a significant number of members or employees. It is a massive "golden parachute" funded by the public.
Conclusion: The Cost of Silence
The evidence suggests a "what Martin wants, Martin gets" approach to the national treasury. Every peso "padded" into a utility bill or a travel fund is a peso stolen from hospitals, classrooms, and social protection programs. When the House distorts its budget, it distorts the economic reality of the entire nation.
It is time to move beyond reporting and toward active demand for accountability. The public must demand that Speaker Romualdez submit his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) for full scrutiny and explain the billion-peso deltas in his chamber's spending. Accountability cannot exist in a system where "honor" replaces receipts.
Final Thought-Provoking Question: If our leaders are truly "architects of a future for every Filipino," why is the blueprint for their own spending hidden behind a simple certification?
Sources:
1. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14ZSk2mGpeg/
2. https://youtu.be/Q-lGipwnCe0?si=yvXjE8oqXKHFa7tr
