When former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez declared that he would “not allow myself to be turned into the scapegoat”, it wasn’t just a denial – it was a signal. “I will not go quietly, and I will not go alone. I will not be the fall guy for other people’s corruption.” This statement signals that this is no longer the quiet investigation into anomalous infrastructure projects. Philippine political scandals tend to follow a pattern: first, the revelations, and then the investigations. Next come the denials, and finally, the narrowing of responsibility to a handful of individuals. Some take the blame, maybe get some time in prison, all’s well that ends well.  But what we are seeing now disrupts that pattern. Escalating Blame Game: Romualdez,