Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez has informed President Rodrigo Duterte about his plan to run for Speaker of the House of Representatives and to complete the President’s unfinished legislative agenda.
He told reporters last week that the Speaker must share the President’s vision to properly lead the administration coalition in the House.
“When you aspire for Speaker, you represent the majority coalition of the administration, Romualdez said.
“If you think you share a common voice [with the President], you must confront the legislative agenda of the administration.”
Romualdez confirmed he was one of the candidates for the speakership two days after the elections were held on May 13.
Romualdez, who obtained his law degree from the University of the Philippines and his Bachelor of Arts in Government degree from Cornell, said the members of the party-list bloc in Congress would play a crucial part in the passage of the reforms being pushed by Duterte.
“The party-list bloc is our partner for change and reforms to carry the speedy passage of President Duterte‘s legislative agenda, Romualdez said.
“You have to remember that the party-list group represents many sectors and marginalized sectors, and they represent the sectors that are not left behind. That is why this group is important.”
Romualdez vowed to listen to the members of the House, emphasizing that “a good Speaker is one who listens more than he speaks.”
Romualdez is considered one of the front runners for the speakership. Davao Mayor Sara Duterte has acknowledged his support for the President’s reform agenda while thumbing down the reconciliation efforts of ousted House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, saying those were “deceiving and utterly lacked sincerity.”
She has also been cool to the candidacy of Taguig First District Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, who she claimed threatened to break up “the group” if she endorsed someone else for the House’s top post.
