Peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) called the appointment of presidential son and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Sandro Marcos as senior deputy majority leader of the Lower House "nepotism to the highest level."
"As if the installation of presidential cousin Martin Romualdez as House Speaker is not enough, the stamp pad Congress even appointed the presidential son and neophyte legislator Sandro Marcos as among the high-ranking officials of the House of Representatives," said KMP leader Rafael Mariano on the group's Facebook account.
He also pointed out that Rep. Marcos was the one who nominated Romualdez to become the House Speaker and young Marcos' appointment "reeks of abuse of power by the Marcoses and their cronies."
"Sandro Marcos was appointed by virtue of his family name and relation to his father — the President, and his uncle — the House Speaker. If this is not nepotism, we do not know what it is," Mariano added.
According to KMP, the position given to Rep. Marcos is delegated to senior legislators with years of experience and track record as a member of the House.
KMP noted that this "House of Representatives' tradition" was also disregarded during the Duterte administration where high-ranking positions and committee chairmanships were determined by loyalty to the former president.
Rep. Marcos was reportedly mentored by Romualdez himself, according to KMP's post.
"What can we expect from Congress — now an institutional supermajority of the Marcos-Duterte ruling clique? We can expect more anti-people legislation as Romualdez and Marcos now hold the highest positions in the Lower House," KMP added.