FILE PHOTO: House Speaker Martin Romualdez. Photo from the official website of House of Representatives / congress.gov.ph
MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez declared Sunday that he respects and supports everyone in the government, including Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte.
His explicit pronouncement stemmed from a rather peculiar encounter in Japan, where he was greeted by a Filipino worker carrying a placard that said, “Please support VP Inday Sara Duterte.”
The brief meeting which also involved some Duterte supporters was caught on video, and has received mixed reactions from netizens on X (formerly Twitter).
READ: Romualdez denies impeachment moves vs Sara Duterte at House
“I agree with the overseas Filipino worker who greeted me in Japan with a placard bearing a significant message. We should all support and respect the Vice President,” Romualdez said in a statement.
“The same respect and support that we should extend to the President and other government officials,” he added.
Early this year, rumors became rampant that Romualdez and Duterte were not on good terms. Although it was unclear where such information started, Romualdez clarified in July that he and the Vice President are okay.
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