Lawmakers on Speaker’s ratings: We’re doing the right thing

MANILA, Philippines — Despite harsh criticisms, members of the supermajority coalition at the House of Representatives have expressed vindication with the latest double-digit surge in the ratings of Speaker Martin Romualdez, who was the main subject of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades.

“It simply means we’re on the right track. It resonated with the general public. At least, everything that we did went not just for naught,” South Cotabato 2nd District Rep. Peter Miguel said, as Romualdez’s trust rating increased six points from 54 percent during the second quarter to 60 percent in the third quarter.

Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, who chairs the House appropriations committee, is also glad that slowly but surely, the trust and performance ratings of the Speaker continue to climb due to his unrelenting attitude when it comes to legislative work.

“I believe that if the Filipino people continue to put their trust in Speaker Romualdez’s leadership, then the House must be doing something right,” Co, who is also the president of the 54-member Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc. in the lower chamber, said.

Representatives Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte’s second district, Mark Enverga of Quezon’s first district and Christian Unabia of Misamis Oriental’s first district also congratulated Romualdez for the two-digit increase in his performance ratings.

“It further affirms our view of the Speaker, who is a quiet but good general. Not much talk, but just doing his job. The people are already seeing this. Filipinos know results when they see it. And their recognition of the Speaker makes us very proud,” Barbers said in English and Filipino.

Enverga noted that the “substantial increase in trust and approval ratings for Speaker Romualdez serves as a resounding testament to his effective leadership.”

This was based on the Third Quarter 2023 survey of OCTA Research, conducted last Sept. 30 to Oct. 4.

“It reinforces our commitment within the House to remain vigilant in our role, especially when it comes to ensuring the stability of prices for essential commodities, with a particular focus on staples like rice and other vital agricultural products,” Enverga said.

Barbers chairs the House dangerous drugs committee while Enverga heads the agriculture and food committee.

Unabia lauded Romualdez for a job well done in championing the interests of the Filipino people, stressing “the Speaker’s heart is in the right place.”

“All our efforts under the leadership of the Speaker have paid off. They started bearing fruit now. And clearly, it was a step in the right direction. Although we should still not be contented with this, we still have to work harder,” Unabia said, standing pat on the House’s move to increase the budget of national security agencies.

He also extended his congratulatory messages to Romualdez for the latter’s exemplary leadership by helping the government bring down the prices of basic commodities, which shows his compassion for the poor and the marginalized who are mostly affected by inflation.

Unabia also noticed Romualdez’s dedication to his job as the leader of the House.

“The Speaker has always been focused on his job. He made it clear to us that passing the LEDAC (Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council) bills meant improving the lives of our countrymen who have been struggling with life at every turn, and even worsened by the pandemic and record-high inflation,” Unabia said.

Based on the survey of OCTA Research, Romualdez received a 60-percent trust rating from 54 percent during the second quarter.

The Speaker also got a 61-percent performance rating from 55 percent last June.

The recent OCTA Research survey indicated an increase in Romualdez’s trust ratings: from 54 percent in July this year to 60 percent on Oct. 4. This represents a six-point increase from the last survey in July and a 22-point increase from 2022 figures pegged at 38 percent.