Manila: Deputy Speaker, La Union Rep. Pablo Ortega V, announced Wednesday that lawmakers in the House of Representatives remain steadfast in their support for Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, dispelling rumors of internal discord and confirming that the House leadership will remain unchanged.
According to Philippines News Agency, Ortega addressed these rumors in an ambush interview with reporters, where he was asked about potential efforts to unseat the current House chief. "There will be no change of leadership in the House of Representatives and that members remain firmly united behind Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez," Ortega stated, dismissing any speculation to the contrary.
Ortega emphasized the unity within the House, highlighting the presence of key figures at a recent gathering. "As you can see, nagkakaisa po ang House of Representatives. Nandoon po lahat ng party leaders, nandoon po ang aming Majority Floor Leader (Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander A. Marcos), nandun po si Speaker at mga ibang Deputy Speakers," he said, pointing out that leaders from various political parties, including Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD), Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), National Unity Party (NUP), Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), Nacionalista Party (NP), and Party-List Foundation Inc. (PCFI), were in attendance.
When questioned about whether this gathering was a renewed expression of support for the Speaker, Ortega asserted that the actions and presence of key leaders demonstrated the chamber's solidarity. "I think the photo will speak for itself na kitang-kita ng tao yung suporta ng House of Representatives saka party leaders," he remarked.
Ortega further dismissed recent rumors suggesting attempts to alter the House leadership, describing them as baseless gossip. "Well, maraming tsismis pero sabi ko nga, tsismis. Mga bulong-bulong. Pero as you can see, the House is one, the House is solid, and there's no change in the leadership," he stated confidently.
When asked about any concrete attempts to unseat the Speaker, Ortega reiterated that despite widespread gossip, there was no evidence of any real challenge materializing. He confirmed that a significant number of deputy speakers attended the meeting, asserting, "As far as I know, kumpleto."
Addressing rumors of a signature-gathering campaign for a new Speaker, Ortega dismissed them as unverified chatter. "Tawag lang 'yung naririnig ko. Tawag-tawag lang," he said, explaining that these were second-hand accounts lacking clarity on their source. Ortega added that unknown callers had contacted some House members, but these calls were not substantiated with concrete evidence, making them unreliable.
