Romualdez not interested in higher post in 2028, says House spox
House of Representstives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (Photo from House of Representatives)
MANILA, Philippines — House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez is not interested in running for a higher post in 2028, the chamber’s spokesperson Princess Abante said on Friday.
Abante, a lawyer by profession, noted that while many people supposedly aspiring for the presidency have been touring countries and making a lot of media appearances, Romualdez prefers to do his job in Congress.
Abante said that Romualdez makes unpopular and hard decisions, which would obviously hinder any plan for 2028 — something that those aspiring for higher posts would not do.
“While others are busy hopping to other countries, with media appearances, and to campaign early — Speaker Romualdez and the House continues to do its job: file bills, monitor public funds, and bring service to those who need it,” Abante said in a statement in Filipino.
“It is clear: Running for 2028 is not reflected in Speaker Romualdez words and actions. And most of all, the speaker is known for making difficult decisions that are not popular. Is that how somebody who has plans for 2028 would act? If you are thinking about the elections, you would not want others to be hurt when implementing what is right,” she added.
According to Abante, Romualdez does not resort to media interviews or social media trends just to look “cute.”
“He does not show up before the media just to grandstand. He does not have a press conference to make him a palatable name. He does not use TikTok or vlogs to appear cute. He prioritizes service over personal interests.”
“And this is the question: Aren’t you wondering why they prefer to go after a person who is not in the survey for presidential candidates in 2028? Maybe they are only using the Speaker — to make fun of others, to be disrespectful, or to make it seem that they are good people.”
Abante also addressed the “tambaloslos” tag often thrown against Romualdez, which originated from a remark by Vice President Sara Duterte in 2023, when she talked about people who supposedly have ambitions
According to Abante, the House’s mandate is to help the people — which the House did by monitoring and facilitating aid distributions.
“Amid these criticisms against him, we in the House stand firm: Helping the poor is not something you should be ashamed of. Speaker Romualdez was called ‘tambaloslos’ because he was helping people — the hungry, the sick, and those who lost their jobs.”
It is unclear what prompted the House spokesperson to issue the statement, but Romualdez in his speech at the closing session of the 19th Congress said that the House did not back down from its duty to maintain transparency and accountability.
Romualdez was referring to the pursuit of the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte.
