Arroyo: I continue to support Romualdez

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PAMPANGA Rep. Gloria Arroyo yesterday reiterated her support for the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez despite losing the post of deputy speaker on Tuesday night, saying there is nothing she can do if the House leader chose to believe those who are trying to sow intrigue.

“There is always intrigue in politics, often petty. If some intriguers were able to convince Speaker Romualdez of the falsehood that I do not support his leadership in the House, then there is nothing I can do,” the former president said in a statement. “But even as an ordinary congressman, I will remain true to my word to President Marcos Jr. — I will continue to support his preferred man for House speaker, and that is Speaker Romualdez.”

Isabela Rep. Antonio Albano was elected deputy speaker to replace Arroyo while Lanao del Sur Rep. Yasser Alonto Balindong was elected deputy speaker in place of Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, another known Duterte ally at the House.

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Arroyo was ousted as deputy speaker for not signing a resolution defending the chamber amid allegations by her staunch ally, former president Rodrigo Duterte, against the institution over its decision to strip his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, of confidential funds under the P5.768-trillion proposed national budget for 2024.

Arroyo said she was not able to sign the resolution because she was abroad at that time, stressing that it “does not contain anything new for me, because I have always supported his leadership as speaker.”

Arroyo stressed that from the time that she learned that President Marcos Jr.’s preference for Speaker was his first cousin, “I took the position that I will support him as Speaker.”

“I had advised the President of this, in writing,” she said. “Second, I have never supported any action to remove Speaker Romualdez from his position. In fact, I have publicly stated that I have given up any plans to aspire for the speakership again, in this and any future Congresses that I would have the honor to be part of.”

The row between the Vice President and the Speaker, who was her campaign manager last year, first came to light after the younger Duterte resigned from the ruling Lakas-CMD, denouncing the “political toxicity” and “political power play” in the House when Arroyo was initially ousted as senior deputy speaker last May for allegedly plotting a coup against Romualdez, who is the president of Lakas, of which Arroyo is chairman emeritus.

Since then, the Vice President who is concurrent Education secretary began making derogatory remarks believed aimed at Romualdez, who kept mum amid the attacks. The two were perceived to have patched things up last July, until the House stripped the Office of the Vice President of confidential funds and realigned these to the Philippine Coast Guard and other security agencies at the forefront of protecting the country’s sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.

Also yesterday, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga, the principal author of resolution defending the House from Duterte’s attacks, joined Lakas along with Reps. Carmelo Lazatin II of Pampanga and Zaldy Villa of Siquijor.

The three former PDP-Laban members were welcomed as the latest additions to the ruling party, which now has 77 House members.

 

 

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