FACT CHECK: Video of Romualdez threatening to pin lawmakers in budget mess is AI-generated

Claim: A video shows former House speaker Martin Romualdez saying nine senators and half of the members of the House of Representatives will be implicated in the budget corruption controversy once he reveals the truth. 

Rating: FALSE 

Why we fact-checked this: One video bearing the claim has already received 147,000 views, 2,000 reactions, 1,200 comments, and 1,700 shares as of writing. It was posted on May 7, two weeks after Romualdez released a statement responding to the corruption allegations against him. 

The video shows Romualdez saying, “Kalahati po ng mga kongresista sa Kongreso ang madadawit kung ako po ay kakanta (Half of the lawmakers in Congress would be implicated if I reveal the truth).”

In another video that has already gained 127,000 views, Romualdez is shown saying, “Siyam na senador at kalahati ng kongresista sa Kongreso ang madadawit ‘pag ako ay kumanta. Hindi ako mag-isang babagsak.” 

(Nine senators and half of the members of Congress will be implicated if I reveal the truth. I will not go down alone.)

Many social media users believed Romualdez was the person in the video making such statements. One commenter wrote, “Correct ibulgar mo na, pati mastermind, itodo mo na (Correct, disclose what you know, including the mastermind. Go for it).” 

The facts: Deepfake detection tool Hive Moderation flagged the first video as 99.9% likely to be AI-generated, with 97.1% probability of AI-generated speech. Hive Moderation flagged the second video as 99.9% likely to be AI-generated, with 42.2% probability of AI-generated speech.

Undetectable AI flagged the first video as 97% likely to be AI-generated, while the second video had a 74% likelihood of being created using AI tools.

The video of Romualdez on April 21, in which he denied allegations that he masterminded a corruption scheme in the government, did not show him making the statements shown in the AI-generated video. He also did not explicitly mention that nine senators and half of Congress will be implicated in the corruption scandal.

He only warned that he would not let his political enemies single him out in the corruption scandal. (WATCH: Breaking down Romualdez’s response to corruption claims)

“To those who think they can throw me under the bus to save themselves, this is what I say to you: I am ready to defend my name. My silence should not be mistaken for weakness, ignorance, or fear. I know enough to defend myself. And if I am forced to do so in public, I will,” he said.

Budget controversies: Romualdez has been implicated in corruption allegations, particularly the flood control ghost projects and budget insertion scheme.

In 2025, former House appropriations committee chairperson Zaldy Co tagged Romualdez as the alleged mastermind behind the insertion of P100 billion worth of projects in the 2025 budget.

Romualdez has denied the allegations against him and argued that the national budget process is completed not by the House speaker alone.

“The national budget does not depend on just one person. The budget does not begin in the House. It begins in the executive. The agencies and departments prepare their proposals. The executive consolidates them into the national expenditure program, and that program is then submitted to Congress,” he said.

“No speaker can personally control every committee, much less direct the actions of other branches or government agencies,” he added. 

Previous fact checks: Rappler has previously fact-checked similar claims about Romualdez:

• FACT CHECK: Martin Romualdez did not apologize to Duterte family 
• FACT CHECK: Romualdez did not release USB containing budget corruption evidence vs Marcos 
• FACT CHECK: Marcos, Romualdez did not flee PH over budget corruption scandal 
• FACT CHECK: Romualdez not convicted by Supreme Court over budget controversy 
• FACT CHECK: Romualdez not arrested in the US 

– Angelee Kaye Abelinde/Rappler.com 

Angelee Kaye Abelinde is a student journalist based in Naga City, and an alumna of Rappler’s Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship 2024. 

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