Arroyo to continue supporting Speaker Romualdez; wants to 'move on'
At A Glance
- Pampanga 2nd district congresswoman and former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said Wednesday, Nov. 8 that she will continue to support the leadership of House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Pampanga 2nd district Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (left), House Speaker Martin Romualdez (Speaker’s office)
Pampanga 2nd district congresswoman and former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said Wednesday, Nov. 8 that she will continue to support the leadership of House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
This, despite her removal as one of the eight deputy speakers in the House of Representatives during plenary session Tuesday, Nov. 7.
"Even as an ordinary congressman, I will remain true to my word to President Marcos, Jr.--I will continue to support his preferred man for House Speaker, and that is Speaker Martin Romualdez," Arroyo said in a statement.
"Having made myself clear, I think we should now move on to more pressing national concerns," she added.
Arroyo's removal as deputy speaker came six months after she was stripped of her senior deputy speaker title, which is held by only one person in the chamber.
In the same statement, the ex-chief executive noted how she has been consistent with her support of Romualdez.
READ THIS:
https://mb.com.ph/2023/11/7/arroyo-removed-as-deputy-speaker-now-an-ordinary-house-member-1
"First, from the time that I learned that President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.'s preference for Speaker was, and is, then Congressman Martin Romualdez, I took the position that I will support him as Speaker. I had advised the President of this in writing," Arroyo said, recalling her statements last May when she was unseated as senior deputy speaker.
"Second, I have never taken or supported any action to remove Speaker Romualdez from his position. In fact, I have publicly stated that I have given up any plans to aspire for the Speakership again, in this and any future Congress that I would have the honor to be a part of," she further said.
Arroyo and Romualdez both belong to the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party. She is the party's chairperson emeritus, while he is the party president.