House Speaker Martin Romualdez (Speaker’s office)

The 51-strong Visayas bloc in the House of Representatives is the latest group of solon to express its support to Speaker Martin Romualdez.

"Members of the Visayan Bloc express full support for Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, a distinguished son of the Visayas and who has always been a strong champion of development in the Visayas," the group said in a statement that was attributed to Negros Occidental 3rd district Rep. Jose Francisco "Kiko" Benitez.

Romualdez represents Leyte's 1st district in the lower chamber.

"Speaker Romualdez has been a paragon of public service, demonstrating effective leadership through competence, diligence and good will. We will continue to work with him to deliver on the President’s priority legislative agenda and uplift the lives of Filipinos," Benitez said.

"We firmly believe that through unity, the House will deliver on the promise of full economic recovery from the pandemic, and sustainable development and inclusive economic growth," he added.

Messages of support and reiteration of such for Romualdez have been coming out left and right in the aftermath of the House's removal of Pampanga 2nd district Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as senior deputy speaker during plenary session on May 17.

The next day, Vice President Sara Duterte resigned from her post as Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD).

Afterward, Arroyo, a former Philippine president, responded to allegations that she had been planning to oust Romualdez and said that being House Speaker is no longer part of her "political objectives".

Romualdez, Arroyo, and Duterte are arguably the three biggest allies in government of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

Romualdez and Arroyo are high-ranking officials of Lakas, holding the position of president and chairperson emeritus, respectively.