House Speaker’s trust rating up

House Speaker Martin Romualdez is now enjoying a significant upswing of trust rating in the latest Tugon ng Masa survey of a polling, research and consultation firm as members of the House of Representatives expressed full backing for the Speaker.

This comes amid the controversies and allegations thrown the House Speaker's way by no less than former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Public trust rating for Romualdez soared to 60 percent from 38 percent between 2022 and 2023 and 60 percent from 54 percent from July to October this year — a stunning 22-point increase during the same time and a six-point increase over the quarter.

The third quarter survey showed that the Speaker also mustered a 61 percent approval rating, bringing a 6 percent hike compared to the second quarter survey.

Romualdez's performance satisfaction rating likewise grew from 44 percent to 61 percent between 2020 to 2022 and 2023 and 55 percent to 61 percent from July to October 2023.

Among the numerous lawmakers who expressed all-out support to Romualdez was Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales, who posits a firm conviction that a significant upswing was a result of the approval for the realignment of the P1.23 billion confidential funds of five civilian agencies to security and intel agencies.

To recall, the House leadership stripped the confidential funds of the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, and Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education — both headed by Vice President Sara Duterte — and channeled it to agencies in charge of monitoring and protecting the country's national security and territorial rights in the West Philippine Sea.

Duterte — who sought P500 million and P150 million in confidential funds for OVP and DepEd, respectively — received zero confidential funds, which sparked a dispute between members of the House and his father, who called Congress "the most rotten institution" in the country.

Romualdez, meantime, expressed gratitude for the high satisfaction and trust mark but stressed that credit should be given to the combined efforts and unwavering commitment of all House members.