GMA congratulates Speaker on rating rise

MANILA, Philippines — Former president and now Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday issued a belated congratulatory message to Speaker Martin Romualdez – the only high government official whose ratings increased in the third quarter of this year.

“I would like to congratulate House Speaker and Lakas president Martin Romualdez on the recent OCTA Research Report reflecting a +6 percent increase in Trust Rating to 60 percent,” read a statement the Pampanga congresswoman issued.

There was nothing more to the press statement, though, just like what she did last May when the House leadership demoted her from senior deputy speaker to just one of the deputy speakers, ostensibly because of an alleged plot to oust Romualdez, a first cousin of President Marcos.

“It’s the prerogative of the House,” read her curt one-liner reaction to her demotion.

Arroyo sits as chairperson emeritus of Lakas-CMD party, which is now headed by the Speaker. The political party is the country’s largest and dominant party in the House, with about 73 members in the chamber, with the other parties belonging to the super majority coalition.

She is known for her short temper especially during her nine-year reign in Palace. She is also close to Vice President Sara Duterte, who helped install her as Speaker in July 2018, when the latter toppled her archenemy the former speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

As a way of protesting Arroyo’s demotion, Duterte in May bolted her membership in Lakas-CMD right away, which has been seen in political circles as the start of cracks within the administration of President Marcos, whose campaign in 2022 was mostly bankrolled by Romualdez.

Meantime, two congressmen – House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe of Zamboanga City and Rep. Bai Dimple Mastura of Maguindanao del Norte – hailed the Speaker’s ratings, saying it was a reflection of his collaborative and unifying leadership focused on uplifting the welfare of Filipinos.