Leyte Representative and the first cousin of President Bongbong Marcos, Martin Romualdez, has been elected as the new House Speaker of the 19th Congress on Monday, July 25.
Romualdez managed to secure 280 votes from his colleagues in the first session of the 19th Congress. The election came hours ahead of Marcos’s first State of the Nation Address.
Romualdez is currently the president of Lakas-CMD which now has 64 congressmen. PDP-Laban, the National Unity Party, the Nacionalista Party, the Nationalist People’s Coalition, and the Party-List Coalition also backed his candidacy as house speaker.
Romualdez served as House Majority leader in the 18th Congress. He was also nominated by his nephew Ilocos Norte Representative Sandro Marcos.
“I ask you all to accept the duty of service to the people for you and I can do this all together as a team… In unity there is strength,” Romualdez said during his oath taking.
“We will work together to ensure that the HoR truly embodies the will of the people,” he added.
Romualdez also echoed Marcos’ message of unity.
“There will be a fair and equitable distribution of resources regardless of political affiliation… We are the House of the People, majority and minority… We will collectively work make the 19th Congress the best it can possibly be,” he added.
