MANILA – Surigao del Sur 1st District Rep. Romeo Momo Sr., chair of the House Committee on Public Works and Highways, has resigned from the House contingent in the bicameral conference committee reconciling the 2026 General Appropriations Bill, citing “delicadeza” amid fresh plunder and graft complaints filed against him. The courtesy resignation, announced on December 13, 2025, follows allegations of conflict of interest in awarding P1.4 billion in public works contracts to a company linked to his family, Surigao La Suerte Corporation (SLSC).
Momo, in a Facebook statement, denied the accusations as “false, baseless, and politically motivated,” insisting his withdrawal is not an admission of guilt but a gesture of respect for democratic institutions. “This decision was neither easy nor impulsive. It was made after deep reflection,” he wrote, pledging continued public service despite the cases at the Office of the Ombudsman.
The complaints, lodged by Catholic priests from the Diocese of Tandag and private individuals, accuse Momo of maintaining ties to SLSC—despite claimed divestment—while family members remain shareholders, creating undue advantage in Caraga region bids. Critics highlighted his bicam role as amplifying the conflict, given oversight of infrastructure budgets.
Momo’s exit joins other absences in the livestreamed bicam sessions: Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa (in hiding over ICC warrant reports) and Jinggoy Estrada (resigned earlier). The deliberations, a first for public transparency amid the flood control scandal, continue reconciling the P6.793-trillion budget.
For a Congress under scrutiny for pork and patronage, Momo’s move—voluntary or pressured—feels like a fragile fig leaf: In the graft grapple’s gathering storm, delicadeza delays but doesn’t deflect the deluge of doubt.