Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr. (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (Facebook)

House Speaker Martin Romualdez--a person that Vice President Sara Duterte assails in interviews--was actually instrumental in her winning in Pampanga--one of the most vote-rich provinces in the country--in the 2022 elections. 

This can be gleaned in an anecdote shared to reporters Monday, Oct. 21 by Senior Deputy Speaker Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr. 

Duterte might have already burned her bridge to Romualdez, but it was only over two years ago when he acted one of her two campaign managers for her vice presidential bid. 

"Alam ninyo po sa totoo lang, pag nag-uusap kami ni Speaker, kasi po may survey na lumabas na mababa siya sa Pampanga during those times," Gonzales said of then-Davao City mayor Duterte. 

(You know the truth is, when the Speaker and I spoke, there was a survey that showed she 

lagged behind in Pampanga during those times.) 

"Ang pinakiusap ni Speaker Romualdez sa amin na kung puwede, tulungan si VP Sara sa Pampanga. Kasi nga may kandidatong Kapampangan doon si Kiko Pangilinan at mataas si Kiko Pangilinan kasi Kapampangan," recalled the senior deputy speaker. 

(Speaker Romualdez requested to us that, if possible, we could help VP Sara in Pampanga.  Because she was going up against a Kapampangan candidate in Kiko Pangilinan, he was high in the survey.)

Pangilinan ran for vice president alongside presidential bet Leni Robredo.

"So winork out po namin iyon at from day one up to the proclamation kasama po si Speaker Martin Romualdez," added Gonzales. 

(So that's what we worked out from day one up to the proclamation, Speaker Martin Romualdez was with us.) 

Duterte ended up winning the race in Pampanga, with over 628,000 votes. 

Pampanga has over 1.5 million registered voters and is one of the most vote-rich provinces in the country. 

A few months ago, Duterte rejected the notion that Romualdez contributed to her overall victory in the 2022 vice presidential race, wherein she garnered a record-breaking 32 million votes. 

Last Friday,  Oct. 18,  Duterte claimed that her running mate, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., used her to win the presidential race.