Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (left), and House Deputy Speaker and Las Piñas City lone district Rep. Camille Villar (MANILA BULLETIN/ Facebook)

Two senior members of the Nacionalista Party (NP) reiterated on Thursday afternoon, May 18, their support for House Speaker Martin Romualdez and President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

This came after a surprise shake-up in the House leadership that saw Pampanga 2nd district Representative and former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo get relegated to the post ofŕ deputy speaker.

Erstwhile Deputy Speaker Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr. took over the lofty post vacated by Arroyo. Both changes were announced in plenary on Wednesday night.

"Senior Deputy Speaker Gonzales is one of our reliable and diligent partners in the House of Representatives and a great addition to the working force of our hard-working Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez," Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said in a statement.

"We reiterate the party’s strong support to the leadership of Speaker Romualdez who is deeply committed to the well-being and progress of our nation," he said.

"The party is impressed by Speaker Romualdez’s integrity being a strong and decisive leader with an understanding and compassionate heart for the people. At the same time, we also reiterate our full support to President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos, Jr., whose 8-point Socio-Economic Agenda guides our work as legislators," added Barbers.

This was echoed by another NP stalwart in Deputy Speaker and Las Piñas City lone district Rep. Camille Villar.

"The Nacionalista Party expresses its unequivocal support to the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez of the House of Representatives as we remain fully committed to the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to its vision of a united and prosperous nation," Villar said.

Villar is the daughter of NP leader, former Senate President Manny Villar.