Ako Bicol party-list Representative-elect Alfredo Garbin Jr. said the supermajority continues to support House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s leadership, adding their group would remain aligned with the majority in the 20th Congress despite discussions about a potential leadership change.
“Wala naman question eh. ” The major political parties support Speaker Martin Romualdez,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the proclamation of winning party lists in Manila.
“In fact nagkaroon kami ng party leaders meeting last Friday. Ako mismo yung nagrepresenta party-list bloc. At kasama tayo sa majority,” he said.
Last Friday, political party leaders gathered in Makati City; however, House Deputy Speaker David “Jay-Jay” Suarez denied that it was a “loyalty check,” describing it instead as a “meet and greet” following the 2025 elections.
Garbin further clarified that the meeting primarily focused on discussing office spaces, assignments, and committee allocations.
“As to the Speakership, doon sa party leaders’ meeting settled naman at si Speaker Martin Romualdez pa rin,” he said.
Garbin was asked to respond to Alyansa campaign manager and Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco’s claim that Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment contributed to the loss of the government-backed senatorial slate in the election.
“When Toby spoke against the impeachment, he totally alienated himself from the supermajority of Congress. So that’s the effect of it,” he said.
On Monday, Lakas-CMD’s David “Jay-Jay” Suarez announced that at least 240 lawmakers signed a manifesto backing House Speaker Martin Romualdez to continue leading the 20th Congress.
Suarez added that the support comes from lawmakers across major political groups, including Lakas-CMD, National Unity Party (NUP), Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), Nacionalista Party (NP), Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), and the Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc. (PCFI).
He also noted that neither he nor other House leaders have heard of any alternative candidates for the speakership in the upcoming Congress.