House leaders meet to back Romualdez’s leadership in new Congress
Several lawmakers from the House of Representatives meet on Friday, May 16, in Makati to discuss administrative matters and continuity plans for the 20th Congress. (Photo by House Media Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines — Several lawmakers from the House of Representatives met to discuss the continuity of their coalition under the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez in the upcoming 20th Congress.
In the closed-door meeting held on Friday, Quezon 2nd District Rep. David Suarez of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) said that the lawmakers’ early preparations for the next Congress are crucial as “there’s a lot of groundwork to be laid out.”
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“Purely administrative matters were tackled. We have three years and 315 congressmen—so there’s a lot of groundwork to be laid out, especially on committee assignments and organizational concerns,” Suarez, Lakas-CMD’s Deputy Speaker and party treasurer, said in a statement on Saturday.
“Ayaw naman natin mangyari na kung kailan tumatakbo na ang Kongreso saka pa lang tayo bumubuo ng organisasyon. Dapat pagpasok ng July 1, trabaho na agad,” Suarez added.
(We don’t want to only organize when the new Congress convenes. We should immediately work once July 1 comes).
The lower chamber is currently on a session break and will resume on June 2. Newly-elected leaders in the just concluded midterm elections are set to take their oath at noon on June 30.
Suarez also emphasized that the meeting pushed the coalition’s continuity in the next Congress, as they continue to support the leadership of Romualdez.
“We are the dominant majority party—if I’m not mistaken, we have around 103 elected congressmen—and we are 100% behind the leadership of Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez. This is all under the banner of continuity,” Suarez noted.
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Lakas-CMD remains the most dominant party in the lower chamber, with 104 congressional candidates, of which 79 are reelectionists, and 25 are new representatives, won in the elections, according to data from Romualdez’s office.
Romualdez earlier said that the Lakas-CMD will continue to support the Bagong Pilipinas legislative agenda of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The following were present at the leadership meeting:
- House Secretary Reginald Velasco
- Reps. Yevgeny Vincente “Bambi” Emano (Misamis Oriental, Nacionalista Party)
- Romeo M. Acop (Antipolo City, National Unity Party)
- Albert S. “Abet” Garcia (Bataan, NUP)
- Jose “Bong” J. Teves Jr. (TGP Party-list, PCFI)
- Alfredo A. “Pido” Garbin Jr. (Ako Bicol Party-list, PCFI)
- Reps. Jose C. “Pepito” Alvarez (Palawan, NUP)
- Wilfrido Mark M. Enverga (Quezon, NPC)
- Deputy Speaker Kristine Singson-Meehan (Ilocos Sur, NPC)
- Rep. Luis Raymund “LRay” Villafuerte Jr. (Camarines Sur, NUP President)
- Ronnie Puno (NUP Chairman)
- Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” D. Gonzales Jr. (Pampanga, Lakas-CMD)
- House Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe (Zamboanga City, Lakas-CMD)
- Rep. Eleandro Jesus “Budoy” Madrona (Romblon, Nacionalista Party)
- Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito Mendoza (TUCP Party-list, PCFI
