By Charissa Luci-Atienza
Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro described on Thursday as a “homecoming” his decision to join the Lakas - Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) party.
Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro
(ALVIN KASIBAN / FILE PHOTO MANILA BULLETIN)
The former president of the National Unity Party (NUP) on late Wednesday night took an oath as a member of the Lakas-CMD party, along with neophyte Rizal Rep. Fidel Nograles, who graduated from Harvard Law School in 2016.
"It feels good to be back home. I used to be the Lakas-CMD party chair in the whole province of Capiz and I was also appointed as district chairman concurrently. It is a homecoming because I have returned to Lakas, my original party,” Castro said in a statement.
It was House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, president of the Lakas-CMD party, who administered the party members’ oath to Castro and Nograles, a nephew of the late former Speaker Prospero “Boy” Nograles, Jr.
Castro, who served as House Majority Leader during the previous 17th Congress, said he stepped down as president and left NUP out of "pure and simple delicadeza" following his open support to the speakership bid of Romualdez.
Witnessing the oath-taking ceremony were Deputy Speaker Prospero “Butch” Pichay of Surigao del Sur, House Deputy Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo, Lapu Lapu City Rep. Paz Radaza, Misamis Oriental Rep. Christian Unabia, and Quezon Rep. Aleta Suarez.
Castro said there is no reason for him to remain as the NUP president and a party member after he openly expressed his support to the speakership bid of Romualdez who was not the NUP leadership's choice in the hotly-contested race.
“I resigned out of delicadeza since I was open and unwaveringly frontliner for Cong. Martin Romualdez,” he earlier said.
The NUP leadership rallied behind the Speakership stint of Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano.
Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. has been elected as the president of the NUP.