LAWMAKERS have started to jump the political fence, deserting former president Rodrigo Duterte and his PDP-Laban in favor of the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) amid his word war with the House leadership headed by Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Reps. Edwin Olivares of Parañaque City, Antonino Calixto of Pasay City, Glona Labadlabad of Zamboanga del Norte, and Eduardo Roa Rama Jr. of Cebu City crossed party lines and took their oaths as new Lakas-CMD members last Monday before Romualdez, who is the party president.
Lakas’ total strength at the House of Representatives now stands at 82, out of the 300 plus members of the lower chamber.
The oath-taking ceremony was administered in a simple rite held at the Social Hall of the Office of the Speaker in Batasan Complex, Quezon City.
“We are elated to welcome these exceptional individuals into the Lakas-CMD family. Thank you for aligning with us as your entry will infuse fresh perspectives to further strengthen the Lakas-CMD’s commitment to nation-building under President [Ferdinand] Marcos’ administration to champion people’s welfare and interests,” Romualdez said.
Last November 8, former PDP-Laban members Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga and Reps. Carmelo Lazatin II of Pampanga and Zaldy Villa of Siquijor joined the Lakas-CMD amid the House’s rift with the former president.
Newly sworn-in Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Roberto Uy, a Lakas-CMD member even before his proclamation, is also now part of the 82 House members who are members of the party, after he was proclaimed as the winner of the congressional seat for the province’s first district which was previously occupied by Romeo Jalosjos Jr.
Also on Monday, Pasay City Vice Mayor Waltrudes Del Rosario joined Lakas-CMD, followed by Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing who was sworn in as Lakas member in the presence of House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe of Zamboanga City and Agusan Del Norte Rep. Jose Aquino.
Romualdez has earlier defended the House of Representatives from what he said were threats and intimidation from critics following the death threats made by the former president against members of the Makabayan bloc, particularly Rep. France Castro (PL, ACT) over the House’s move to strip Vice President Sara Duterte of confidential funds under the proposed P5.768 trillion national budget for 2024.
The Speaker’s defense came after the elder Duterte accused Romualdez of attacking the Vice President for being perceived as a “good” presidential candidate in 2028 since the Speaker allegedly wants to run for president.
The former president made the attack as he defended his daughter‘s confidential funds request last month, where he said during an interview that he had told his daughter that she should have been candid enough to tell the Makabayan bloc that they are really the target of the confidential funds and that he wanted to kill Castro and all groups he branded as communists.
The House, acting as a Committee of the Whole, last week adopted Resolution No. 1414 “upholding the integrity of the House of Representatives and expressing appreciation, solidarity and support to the leadership of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.”
The House of Representatives has realigned some P1.23 billion in confidential funds from several government agencies to efforts to boost security in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Among the agencies that were stripped of confidential funds under the House-approved version of the 2024 national budget were the Office of the Vice President (P500 million) and the Department of Education (P150 million).
The Vice President has already given up on her request for confidential funds, saying it has only divided the country more, a decision hailed by Davao Occidental Calude Bautista, who said that the “political noise is shifting their (the public’s) confidence to doubt whether our leaders are still working together as one.”
“I believe it’s time for us to prove to the nation that we are not against each other, that we are not working for the downfall of the administration and that we are committed to fulfilling the aspirations of our people,” Bautista said in a privilege speech, rallying the House to support the Speaker, the President, and the Vice President.
At the Speaker’s 60th birthday celebration in Taguig City on Monday night, President Marcos Jr. commended Romualdez, his first cousin, for what he said was his “fine leadership.”
