Former President Gloria Arroyo welcomed the declaration of President Rodrigo Duterte that he will support House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez should he decide to run for vice president in the 2022 national polls.
“I am happy for Martin. Indeed, he is very qualified,” Arroyo, president-emeritus of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), said in a statement.
Arroyo earlier this week hosted a lunch meeting with Romualdez, Senator Imee Marcos, former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo.
Meanwhile, a colleague in Congress said Duterte endorsed Romualdez as his vice presidential candidate because of the House leader’s proven competence and leadership skills in shepherding the passage of pro-people legislation designed to ensure a sustained campaign to defeat COVID-19.
Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor, who served as Malacañang Chief of Staff during the Arroyo administration, said Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa), “has the experience and leadership advantage compared to other potential vice presidential candidates.”
Defensor said Romualdez, president of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), was also a consensus-builder and the most acceptable to the overwhelming majority of their colleagues and Cabinet members of President Duterte.
“The President’s statement of support for Majority Floor Leader Martin Romualdez is a recognition of his proven competence and his consensus-building leadership,” said Defensor.
“The country will greatly benefit with Majority Leader Martin as Vice President in conjunction with the services he will render to whoever will be President of the Republic,” said Defensor.
Defensor said Romualdez, chairman of the House committee on rules, was the most qualified candidate for the country’s second highest position of the land given his track record in public service, apart from the fact that he is a lawyer and a banker.
Earlier, Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., Lakas-CMD chairman, lauded President Duterte for endorsing Romualdez being one of the most competent congressional leaders, if not the most in this 18th Congress.
“Lakas-CMD expresses our gratitude to the President for expressing his support to our Party President, House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, if he decides to run for Vice President,” Revilla said in a statement.
“Martin is more than capable. He is highly qualified for the demands of the position. Consensus builder kasi si Martin. Instead of dwelling on problems, he makes sure he is a part of the solution and sways everyone to do the same,” Revilla added.
Romualdez on Thursday did not rule out candidacy for vice president and expressed gratitude to Duterte for choosing him for the position.
At the same time, Romualdez said he was focused at the moment on pieces of legislation on “how we can make a more efficient House of the People.”
