OUTGOING majority leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez of Leyte, who is a cousin of incoming President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., is set to take the helm as the speaker of the 19th Congress backed by a new supermajority bloc that is emerging at the House of Representatives.
Yesterday, the 39-man Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) released a manifesto of endorsement, joining the other parties and blocs in backing the election of Romualdez as the leader of the House in the next Congress.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who is the chairman of the NPC, confirmed that the party’s members at the House have given their “unconditional support” to the speakership of Romualdez.
“As chairman of the Nationalist People’s Coalition and in consultation with our HOR leaders, I hereby announce the unconditional support of the party to the Speakership of Congressman Martin Romualdez in the 19th Congress!” Sotto said in a message to the media.
House secretary general Mark Llandro Mendoza, who is also the NPC’s secretary general, and Reps. Jack Duavit of Rizal and Mark Enverga of Quezon presented to Romualdez the party’s manifesto during a luncheon meeting in Makati City.
“Fully cognizant of the intricacies of the legislative process, (the) Hon. Romualdez will definitely bring the House of Representatives to new and greater heights under a common goal of unity towards economic and moral recovery, social justice and the rule of law. In view thereof, we conclusively support Honorable Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez as the Speaker of the 19th Congress of the House of Representatives,” the party members said.
Romualdez thanked the NPC for its declaration of support, saying it “highlights the desire of our newly-elected and re-elected congressmen to heed the call for unity of our incoming President Bongbong Marcos.”
“With NPC’s declaration of support, the new administration has now a clear supermajority in the House of Representatives, which is crucial in pushing for legislative measures needed to move our country forward,” he said.
The NPC members said they firmly believe that Romualdez “has the experience and aptitude that will effectively unify the House of Representatives in the passage of important and crucial legislative reforms for the country and the Filipino people under the administration of His Excellency, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.”
Last Saturday, there was an avalanche of support for Romualdez coming from members of the Party-list Coalition Foundation, Inc. (PCFI), independents, PDP-Laban, Nacionalista Party (NP), Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), Liberal Party (LP), and Lakas-CMD.
Another group of supporters composed of neophyte lawmakers is led by incoming Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos, who is a son of the next president and a nephew of Romualdez.
The 34-member-strong National Unity Party (NUP) was the first group to announce its endorsement of the incumbent majority leader for the speakership.
The outgoing administration party PDP-Laban has 62 lawmaker-members, the NP has 39, Lakas-CMD has 29, and LP has nine.
Political parties began flocking to Romualdez after the next president last Friday made known his preference for his cousin to be the next Speaker during a thanksgiving dinner for his supporters and campaign staff.
Former president and speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who is returning as the representative of Pampanga’s second district, has already thrown her support behind Romualdez, and urged party mates to follow suit. Arroyo is Lakas-CMD president Emeritus, while Romualdez is the party president and presumptive Vice President Sara Duterte is the chairperson.
‘COMPANY UNION’
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, a member of the opposition, urged the next House leadership under Romualdez to allow the formation of a legitimate minority bloc and do away with the old practice of forming a company union led by a pseudo minority leader.
“I am urging the incoming administration not to perpetuate the stratagem of the majority leadership of anointing a Minority Leader in the House of Representatives as an adjunct of the majority coalition,” Lagman said.
Lagman, a member of the LP, said the next House leadership must “allow critical dissent to flourish and respect the independence of a vibrant, although only a handful, of minority Representatives.”
“Legislation must pass deliberate consultation as well as the furnace of serious debate. The hallmark of a deliberative assembly is the genuine existence and steadfast advocacy of the minority,” he also said.
Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymond Villafuerte, an NP stalwart, said Arroyo’s support for Romualdez has paved the way for smooth transition from the leadership of the outgoing House leadership under Speaker Lord Allan Jay Velasco to the incoming one.
“Martin’s election as Speaker right before BBM delivers his inaugural SONA (State of the Nation Address) in July is now a ‘fait accompli’ with his endorsement as speaker by no less than GMA, who has been touted as his most serious challenger for the position,” said Villafuerte, who was among the first legislators to endorse Romualdez as the next Speaker. — With Raymond Africa
