Speaker assured of keeping post until end of term

MANILA, Philippines —  The alliances with key power blocs brokered by the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats for the 270-member supermajority coalition in the House of Representatives ensure that Martin Romualdez will remain as Speaker until June 2025.

“The leadership of Speaker Martin is solid and very much stable. Ninety-five percent of congressmen support (him),” said Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel of the once powerful PDP-Laban.

House Majority Leader and Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe, Lakas-CMD executive vice president, agreed with Pimentel.

“We just want to relay the message to the Filipino people that the leaders that they have chosen to lead this country for the next six years, that the House of the People are with them in supporting the choice they have taken,” Dalipe said.

In simple terms, Romualdez is safe as Speaker until the 19th Congress ends in June 2025 amid rumors that circulated two weeks ago about an alleged plot hatched by former president and now Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to take over the speaker’s post.

Arroyo has denied the allegations.

“We would want the House to be united. We are focused on our mission,” Dalipe said.

House secretary-general Reginald Velasco, an official of the National Unity Party, also agreed with the positions taken by Pimentel and Dalipe.

“That pact lasts until the life of 19th Congress. After that, we will be preparing for the 20th Congress,” Velasco said.

“That is all there is to it because we will never know who will be the leader, who will take over by then, so the (incumbent) Speaker cannot conclude an agreement beyond his term,” he said, noting that Romualdez’s three-year term ends in June 2025.

Bulacan Rep. Salvador Pleyto Sr. of Lakas-CMD expressed belief that Romualdez would not be ousted.

“Speaker Romualdez does his job without checking if he is working with someone whom he is allied with the same political party. This is why he is the Speaker. Across the board, the different alliances, he does what he has to do as Speaker,” Pleyto said.

Romualdez’s Lakas forged an alliance with all power blocs in the House, among them PDP-Laban, NUP, Nacionalista Party, Nationalist People’s Coalition, Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc., Partido Navoteño and Centrist Democratic Party of the Philippines.

“This move is a reiteration of manifestation of support, because we, the House, like to work together in passing the bills agreed upon in the LEDAC... bills that will benefit our countrymen,” Dalipe said, referring to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council.

The supermajority coalition, composed of about 270 members of the 312-man House, agreed to “give their full and unqualified support” to President Marcos, which includes his “legislative agenda,” and vowed as well to give their “full and unqualified support to Speaker Romualdez.”

All party stalwarts who represented various political parties in the House reaffirmed their alliance with Lakas-CMD and have vowed support for Marcos’ legislative agenda and Romualdez in the 19th Congress.

Tulfo now a House member

Meanwhile, former social welfare an development secretary Erwin Tulfo has confirmed that he is now a member of the House of Representatives, but only insofar as their party-list ACT-CIS is concerned, being the organization’s third nominee.

“I was informed by the House leadership that I have now assumed as third member of the ACT-CIS party-list. Yes, I am a member of Congress but there will be a limitation,” Tulfo said.

ACT-CIS stands for Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Development Support.

Tulfo said Dalipe and Velasco “informed” him that he could not yet exercise any voting rights, much less attend House committee and plenary sessions.

“The oath-taking on Tuesday night was only for my assumption as third nominee of ACT-CIS party-list,” he said, noting that there is still a motion for reconsideration pending before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) regarding the disqualification case filed against him.

“Fortunately or unfortunately, it’s the last day of the session, so we will be back on July 24 for the State of the Nation Address. Hopefully the MR will be resolved, according to the House leadership,” he said.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said that once Tulfo assumes as House member, the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) would have full jurisdiction over the pending disqualification case against him.

Garcia cited the Constitution and the case of Reyes vs Comelec, which affirmed that once a House member assumes office, the jurisdictions on all questions involving the elections, returns and qualifications of a member belong to the HRET.

“The assumption of office of a member of the House of Representatives in accordance with its internal processes will divest anybody of jurisdiction in favor of the HRET,” Garcia said.

Tulfo took over the post vacated by Jeffrey Soriano, formerly the third nominee, who resigned to give way to him after the Commission on Appointments rejected his appointment as DSWD secretary based on his US citizenship and final conviction for libel.

The organization’s first nominee is Rep. Jocelyn

Tulfo, wife of Tulfo’s senator brother Raffy Tulfo.

The second nominee is Rep. Edvic Go Yap, brother of former ACT-CIS representative Eric Go Yap, who was elected congressman of the lone district of Benguet. – Evelyn Macairan