HOUSE Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin G. Romualdez on Tuesday backed the senatorial bid of President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte.

As Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) president, Romualdez said he would nominate the name of President Duterte to the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) tasked to select the 12 senatorial candidates to be supported by the party.

“With President Duterte’s filing of candidacy for senator in the 2022 elections, it will be my honor, as Lakas-CMD President, to nominate his name for inclusion in the list of senatorial candidates to be adopted by the party,” said Romualdez, chairman of the House committee on rules.

“The National Executive Committee of Lakas-CMD is currently formalizing the list of 12 senatorial candidates to be supported by the party in 2022 elections, and will make a formal announcement on this the soonest time possible,” added Romualdez, a lawyer from the University of the Philippines (UP) and president of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa).

Romualdez recalled that the Lakas-CMD is one of the major political parties that helped elect President Duterte in 2016.

“Congressmen who are members or affiliated with Lakas-CMD form part of the supermajority coalition in the House of Representatives, which made possible the passage of vital measures included in the President’s legislative agenda,” Romualdez said.

President Duterte, who substituted for a certain Mona Liza Visorde who withdrew her certificate of candidacy (COC) for senator, filed his candidacy for senator via a representative under the Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS) founded by Greco Belgica.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, who filed her COC for vice president, was sworn in by Romualdez as member of the Lakas-CMD last Thursday.

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Ryan Ponce Pacpaco