GMA, Ungab still support Speaker

Former president and now Pampanga 2nd District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Davao City Representative Isidro Ungab on Wednesday maintained their support for Speaker Martin Romualdez despite their demotion in the House of Representatives.

In a statement, Arroyo said she was not able to sign House Resolution No. 1414 because she was abroad when the resolution was passed around.

"In any case, that resolution does not contain anything new for me because I have always supported his leadership as Speaker," she said of Romualdez.

HR 1414, which seeks to uphold the honor and integrity of the House, was adopted on Monday during the resumption of the second regular session of the 19th Congress after a month-long recess.

Arroyo said that from the time President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made known his preference for Romualdez, his cousin, as Speaker, "I took the position that I will support him."

She reiterated that she never joined any efforts to remove Romualdez from his post.

"In fact, I have publicly stated that I have given up any plans to aspire for the speakership again, in this and any future Congress that I would have the honor to be a part of," she said.

 "There is always intrigue in politics, often petty. If some intriguers were able to convince Speaker Romualdez of the falsehood that I do not support his leadership, then there is nothing I can do," she added.

She added: "But even as an ordinary congressman, I will remain true to my word to President Marcos Jr. that I will continue to support his preferred man for House Speaker, and that is Speaker Martin Romualdez. Having made myself clear, I think we should now move on to more pressing national concerns."