Garbin: Almost all party-list solons want Romualdez to remain House Speaker
At A Glance
- Nearly all party-list congressmen in the House of Representatives are supporting Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez's continued Speakership in the 20th Congress.
Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Nearly all party-list congressmen in the House of Representatives are supporting Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez's continued Speakership in the 20th Congress.
Thus, said returning Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr., who claimed that at least 57 out of the 63 party-list solons in the current Congress were backers of Romualdez.
We are certain that the super majority of the incoming 20th Congress supports Speaker Martin Romualdez...And all major political panties--including ours, the party-list coalition--I think 57 or 58 of us are supportive of Speaker Martin Romualdez, Garbin told House reporters in an interview.
The lawyer-congressman was referring to the Party-list Coalition Foundation, Inc. (PCFI).
According to Garbin, 63 seats have been allocated to party--list representatives in the 20th Congress. It remains to be seat if all 63 will apply to be members of PCFI.
The PCFI president during the previous 19th Congress, when Romualdez was the House Speaker, was Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co.
Romualdez is expected to retain the House's top post once solons reconvene on July 28, the first session day of the 20th Congress.
During the oath-taking pa lang ang proclamation ng mga members of 20th Congress, nakita ko yung malakas na suporta talaga kay Speaker Martin Romualdez (Even during the oath-taking and proclamation of the members of the 20th Congress, I could see that Speaker Martin Romualdez enjoys strong support from them), Garbin commented.
Reports said that out of the 317 members of the House in the 20th Congress, 287 have already signified their support for Romualdez.
Of the number, 283 have signed a manifesto of support for the Leyte lawmaker, while the other four have given their verbal commitment to support him.
Romualdez is president of the dominant Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party. He is arguably President Marcos' top lieutenant in the legislature, if not the entire bureaucracy.