Incoming House Speaker deeply moved by flood of endorsement from colleagues
INCOMING Speaker of the House Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez was overwhelmed by the outpouring support of his colleagues not just in the Lakas-CMD party but also the members of the House of Representatives.
Romualdez was grateful to former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, chairman emeritus of Lakas-CMD, for one of the most important endorsements he got next to presumptive president Bongbong Marcos Jr.
Arroyo chose to support Romualdez instead of vying for the position, which she held briefly in the 17th Congress. She was elected as Congressman of Pampanga 2nd District for a fresh term.
Also, Romualdez thanked presidential son and Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative-elect Sandro Marcos and members of all political parties for endorsing him to be the next Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to our esteemed Lakas-CMD President Emeritus, former President and returning Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for her words of support and encouragement, which mean a lot to me,” Romualdez, who is also Lakas-CMD president, said.
Romualdez also thanked the group of newly elected House members led by Marcos and other incoming lawmakers from the National Unity Party (NUP), PDP-Laban, Lakas-CMD, Nacionalista Party (NP), Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), as well as party-list and independent congressmen for endorsing him to be their leader in the next Congress.
Romualdez assured the members of the House in the next Congress that he would do his best to push for the incoming administration’s agenda and to serve his colleagues and their constituents well.
He also promised House members that he would continue to be a consensus-builder, as he has always been as Majority Leader, and to treat them fairly and listen to the views of all.
Romualdez said as a member and Speaker of the House in the 17th Congress, former President Arroyo “was one of our guiding lights.”
“We will continue to count on her for help and advice,” Romualdez said. By Jester Manalastas
