Sandro Marcos: Move to LAKAS-CMD an ‘admin matter’

House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos explained that his decision to move to LAKAS-CMD was meant to provide the coalition with an ability to communicate with House leadership, an avenue he said it did not previously have.

Speaking to local media, Marcos explained that he had conducted a meeting with House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy prior to the transfer wherein it was discussed that LAKAS-CMD had seemingly lacked a leader.

“It was simple. I had a meeting with the Speaker and the Speaker noticed that LAKAS had no leader, in a sense that there’s no one leading LAKAS,” the lawmaker said.

Dy had reportedly explained to him that Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP)–his previous party–was “taken care of” given that the coalition had President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Speaker himself, and Senior Deputy Speaker Ferdinand Hernandez.

“The Speaker told me that it would be better for Congress if I went to LAKAS so that LAKAS would have someone to come to that was a House leader for their concerns,” he stated.

“They did not have anyone to go to within the party that had a leadership position influential enough to be able to help with their districts and constituencies,” he added.

It is worth noting that LAKAS-CMD has the largest membership at the House of Representatives with a total of 70 lawmakers.

Aside from Romualdez, other notable members of the coalition are former president and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, House Deputy Speaker Rep. Janette Garin, and Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong.

Vice President Sara Duterte was formerly the leader of the group but has since moved to the RAGE Coalition.

Amid rumors that the move was meant to rid the group of Duterte’s influence, Marcos maintained that the group was simply an administrative matter.

“It was more an admin matter just so the members of LAKAS don’t feel lost,” he said.