SEVERAL newly-elected members of the House of Representatives have signified their intentions to join Lakas-CMD.

This was revealed by Lakas-CMD Deputy Secretary General and Zamboanga Sibugay Rep. Wilter “Sharky” Palma II, as he reiterated the support of the party to Majority Leader Martin Romualdez to be the next Speaker of the House.

Aside from Lakas-CMD, almost all major political parties have already decided to support Romualdez as the Speaker of the 19th Congress.

“Some of our colleagues have expressed their intention to join Lakas-CMD. We are very proud and happy to support our president to become our Speaker in the next Congress,” Palma said.
Romualdez is Lakas-CMD president.

Palma said the Lakas-CMD leadership is considering welcoming the lawmakers into its fold.

Lakas-CMD earlier formally endorsed Romualdez for the top House position. The endorsement was contained in Resolution No. 05, Series of 2022, which the party’s executive committee has approved.

The resolution was signed by committee members led by Vice President-elect Sara Duterte and Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., who co-chair the party.

The approval of the resolution followed a previous appeal on May 14 from former President and come-backing Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who is Lakas-CMD president emeritus, for party members to support Romualdez for the speakership.

In its resolution, Lakas-CMD believes Romualdez “can lead the House of Representatives into being an effective partner of the incoming (Marcos) administration.”

The party resolved to endorse and support the House leader “to run for and be voted as Speaker in the 19th Congress.”

Other parties that have declared their support for the incumbent majority leader include PDP-Laban, National Unity Party, Nacionalista Party, Liberal Party, Party-list Coalition Foundation, Inc., Hugpong ng Pagbabago, Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, Nationalist People’s Coalition, independents, and the group of neophytes.

Romualdez’s endorsers now comprise an overwhelming majority of the members of the incoming House.

His supporters said he would be an asset to the administration of presumptive President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. because of his “legislative prowess” in shepherding the approval of important pieces of legislation.