Speaker Lord Allan Velasco (File photo)
MANILA – House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez on Tuesday denied rumors of a plot to unseat Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.
Romualdez said he has no intention to effect any leadership change in the House of Representatives, especially the speakership post.
"I don't know where all these talks are coming from. Such idea has not even crossed my mind. These coup rumors have been going on since 2019 and to this day, there has been no evidence of one being hatched," Romualdez said.
He appealed to everyone to stop all speculations on a purported coup plot at this time, as he remains committed to perform his role as Majority Leader in order to pass "meaningful laws for the Filipino people until the last day of the 18th Congress".
"I am a man of honor, and I fully abide with the gentlemen's agreement forged in front of President Duterte in 2019," he said.
Romualdez, president of the Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), said his focus now is on the 2022 elections as they work to give Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte a solid base for her vice presidential bid.
On November 9, Sara withdrew her certificate of candidacy (COC) for mayor and her younger brother, Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte, took her place.
The mayor’s VP candidacy under Lakas-CMD was filed by former Presidential Commission on Good Government chairman Reynold Munsayac on Saturday, quickly followed by the announcement of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas that it is adopting the presidential daughter as the running mate of its standard-bearer, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PNA)
