House Deputy Speaker Cebu 5th district Rep. Vincent Franco "Duke" Frasco has been expelled by the National Unity Party (NUP) after his reported non-signing of the manifesto of support for Speaker Martin Romualdez for his continued leadership in the upcoming 20th Congress.
This was confirmed in a statement Saturday afternoon, June 7 by NUP president, outgoing Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte.
“The party leadership has decided to expel Duke (Frasco) from the NUP because his unilateral decision not to support Rep. Martin’s continued stay as Speaker in the next Congress is a blatant breach of the NUP’s official position of unequivocal support for the Speaker to keep his premier post in the next Congress,” Villafuerte said.
The NUP is among the large political parties belonging to the supermajority coalition that is backing Romualdez to retain the speakership once solons convene for the 20th Congress in July.
“Given that this has been the unanimous stance of our party, Duke’s one-man decision to withdraw support from the Speaker runs counter to the NUP’s official manifestation of support for Congressman Martin—and means his status as a member of our party has become untenable,” Villafuerte said.
The NUP chief said that Frasco “should have first discussed his contrary position with our party leadership, rather than go out in public and breach our unanimous party decision".
Villafuerte said that it has been "a long-standing policy of the NUP for all of us to speak and act as one,.
"Going to the media to publicly oppose our party position, especially without prior consultation with any of our party officers, is punishable with expulsion from the NUP," said the governor-elect.
Frasco has yet to formally address the issue among House reporters.
Nearly a month ago, the NUP formally declared that it was giving its full backing to Romualdez to keep on course the Bagong Pilipinas vision of President Marcos.
"The NUP supports 100 percent the continuity of the Bagong Pilipinas agenda of President Marcos of better lives for all Filipinos in the second half of his presidency...and for the House to help stay the course of this pro-poor and pro-growth vision in the Congress, it is crucial for Speaker Martin to remain at the helm of the bigger chamber to continue shepherding the passage of the priority bills of this Administration meant to spell high, inclusive and sustainable growth," the party said.
