Tiangco: House coup gaining momentum

The effort to oust Speaker Martin Romualdez has been gaining traction since last week, according to independent lawmaker Toby Tiangco, who is critical of the House chief.

Tiangco said, however, that lawmakers supportive of the move are reluctant to act, fearing they may fall short of a majority backing.

“Even last week, they always asked me, ‘What will happen? Our reputation [and] Congress is badly tarnished,” Tiangco said in an interview. “Several lawmakers are starting to realize that the public are furious with us.”

Talk of a possible House shakeup came on the heels of the recent Senate upheaval.

Tiangco said the plan to unseat Romualdez gained traction after lawmakers learned that Bacolod Rep. Albee Benitez, also an independent, accepted his proposal to vie for the speakership.

Both Tiangco and Benitez were reportedly in the running to succeed Romualdez as House Speaker in the current Congress. Their bids, however, did not materialize due to a lack of majority support.

With the revived issue of the 2025 national budget and the growing controversy involving flood control projects, in which the Speaker was accused of involvement, comes the need to “overhaul” the House leadership, including the deputies and committee chairmanships, Tiangco asserted.

Majority behind Romualdez

In a separate interview, House Assistant Majority Leader Zia Adiong refuted the allegation of a brewing leadership change in the House, saying the nearly 300 lawmakers who signed the manifesto of support for Romualdez remain “very solid.” The backing of party leaders is also “intact.”

“It’s easy to say that, but remember, we are 300 plus. Anybody can aim for the speaker[ship], but the question is can you actually muster support to replace the current speaker?” Adiong said.

Romualdez ran for Speaker unopposed. Tiangco and Benitez, as well as another independent solon and reported contender, Cebu Rep. Duke Frasco, abstained from voting.

Sandro over GMA for Speaker?

According to Tiangco, Romualdez is willing to step down “to give way to someone he’s comfortable with.”

The Navotas lawmaker revealed that he has been trying to persuade Majority Leader Sandro Marcos to take the House’s top post, but Marcos has been reluctant to consider the idea.

Romualdez is a cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the uncle of Sandro.

“Perhaps in the beginning, it won’t look good, but knowing Sandro, he would be able to prove that he can lead the House properly,” Tiangco said.

Tiangco said former president now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is not the best choice to replace Romualdez, considering that she is an ally of the House chief.

“If you want reform, you must get someone who does not support the leadership. That’s very clear,” he said.