Davao Occidental lone district Rep. Claude Bautista (Facebook)

Davao Occidental lone district Rep. Claude Bautista spoke in plenary Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 14 to express gladness that the perceived spat between House Speaker Martin Romualdez and the two most popular Duterte clan members is over.

During the past month, former president Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte appeared to be on the warpath against Romualdez on the subject of confidential funds and alleged existence of "pork barrel" in the House of Representatives.

And yet, it only seemed as if it were yesterday that Romualdez served as one of two campaign managers of then-Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte during the May 2022 national elections. The lady official won the vice presidency via historic majority vote.

Meanwhile, Romualdez's cousin, former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., also scored an equally impressive majority vote victory in th presidential race.

The two winners had dubbed themselves the "UniTeam" during the last year's campaign period.

"Recently, however, the perception of the public has been disconcerting, Mr. Speaker," Bautista, who was Sara's second campaign manager, said in his privilege speech.

"The political noise is shifting their confidence to doubt whether our leaders are still working together as one," the Mindanao congressman said.

That is, until Monday, Nov. 13, when Romualdez publicly praised the Vice President for her decision to give up per pursuit of confidential funds for her two offices--the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).

READ THIS:

https://mb.com.ph/2023/11/13/speaker-hopeful-of-improved-ties-with-dutertes-says-uni-team-still-exists-1

The Speaker also said he hoped that his relationship with the Dutertes would improve.

"The hearts of millions of Filipinos had been bleeding as they sensed the air of animosity taking over our unity...Until yesterday (Monday)--when the country’s anxiety was pacified by the assurance that differences with the Vice President would be resolved for the sake of the nation," said Bautista, chairman of the House Committee on Flagship Programs and Projects.

Aware of the touchy situation, he further said: "I am not here to resurrect something that we would instead choose to bury, step away from, and forget completely.

"I am not here to join the army of provocateurs. To rile up emotions. To sow intrigues. To fracture the administration. To divide the nation," he said.

Pointing to Monday's positive developments, Bautista said: "It is truly heartening to know that the leaders of the land are demonstrating exceptional mindfulness of the urgency to bring our people together — down to the path that leads to the fulfillment of our shared objectives for the country."

Moreover, he underscored that "unity was still alive", something that Romualdez himself had also insisted.

"It’s heartening to know that the cause that has brought us once together is still alive...It is heartening to know that the unity that became our light leading to where we are now continues to burn in our hearts," he said.

In a tirade-filled television interview last month, the elder Duterte assailed Congress and called it the "most rotten institution" in the country. He said the House under Romualdez ought to be audited.

The elder Duterte claimed the House enjoyed "unlimited" pork barrel, or discretionary funds. He also alleged that Romualdez was the one behind the attacks against his daughter, who had been criticized left and right over her erstwhile insistence to get confidential funds.