How high does it go?

According to resigned Ako Bicol congressman Elizaldy Co, in the scandal over budget insertions and kickbacks from ghost and substandard projects, the buck stops with President Marcos him- self, with cousin Martin Romualdez merely the implementer.

- ANA MARIE PAMINTUAN

But Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco indicates that it doesn’t go higher than Romualdez, and Co is just muddling the issue.

Co's weekend bombshells, not surprisingly, served as fodder for the rallies that began yesterday, with Duterte diehard supporters holding their own protests.

Apparently to prove his point that the President had nothing to do with project insertions in the 2025 outlay, Tiangco said that as early as November last year, when the scandal over the mangled budget erupted, BBM had summoned him and cousin Martin to Malacafiang.

Tiangco recalled that there was a Sunday family lunch on Nov. 24 at the official presidential residence, Bahay Pangulo in Malacafiang Park, across the Pasig River from the Palace. Romualdez was in Tacloban and was told by phone to return to Manila.

When Romualdez arrived in the afternoon, BBM met with him and Tiangco in a private study. Tiangco said that as soon as they sat down, BBM gave Romualdez a tonguelashing so blistering that Tiangco felt embarrassed.

“Galit na galit siya,” Tiangco told “Storycon” on One News last Friday. “Nanliliit nga ako.”

He maintains that he has no idea why he was made to witness the scolding. He wondered if he should leave the room, but decided to stay put.

What prompted the tongue-lashing?

Tiangco said BBM was furious over the projects inserted for funding in the National Expenditure Program submitted by Malacaftang to Congress. The mangling of the NEP by the House appropriations committee under Co de-funded the President's flagship projects.

BBM, a former congressman, told Romualdez that he was aware of the budget insertions in aid of commissions.

Tiangco said BBM knew about the 20 percent commission that Co, as appropriations committee chair, demanded from his colleagues per inserted project.