Speaker Martin Romualdez (Photo from the Facebook page of the House of Representatives)
MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez will not run for the Senate in the 2025 national elections.
Instead, he will seek reelection as Leyte’s 1st District representative.
Romualdez was interviewed in an ambush on Wednesday after the groundbreaking ceremony at the new legacy building at the National Kidney Transplant Institute (NKTI).
He was asked about his plans for the midterm elections.
“Siguro, mananatili muna ako sa 1st District ng Leyte, and I’ll just do my work kasi marami pang kailangang itapos d’yan sa first district,” he told reporters.
(Maybe I’ll stay first in the 1st District of Leyte, and I’ll do my work because there are still a lot of things to finish in the first district.)
When reporters asked if he has plans for 2028, the next presidential elections, Romualdez said it was still too early to discuss them.
“Matagal pa ‘yon. Matagal pa ‘yon (That’s still far ahead),” he responded.
House members can seek congressional seats for three successive three-year terms.
Romualdez can still run for one more term as Leyte 1st district lawmaker since he started his term in 2019.
He was also representative of the same district from 2007 to 2016.
In the 2016 senatorial elections, Romualdez ran for the Senate and eventually placed 15th — just three rankings away from the last Senate seat.
READ: Romualdez eyes Senate seat in 2016
On Dutertes
Romualdez was also asked about the plan of the Dutertes to run for the Senate, as announced by Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday.
According to the speaker, anyone can run as long as he or she passes the Constitution’s qualifications.
“Well, it’s a democratic nation that we live in, so any Filipino has the right provided that they have the proper qualification to seek for higher office,” he said.
READ: Sara Duterte resigns from Lakas-CMD
In an ambush interview in Cagayan de Oro, Vice President Duterte said former President Rodrigo Duterte, Davao 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte, and Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte will all run for senator in the 2025 midterm polls.
“PRD for senator, my brother Paolo Duterte, currently a congressman, for senator, and Sebastian Duterte,” she said in Filipino.
The vice president also said his youngest brother, Mayor Duterte, is considering a presidential bid in the 2028 elections.
READ: VP Duterte: My father, brothers will run for senator in 2025
After the vice president resigned as Education secretary, political analysts have speculated that this move shows the formal breakup of the Uniteam, the tandem of Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Questions regarding the tandem’s ties started when Duterte resigned from the political party Lakas-CMD, which is headed by Romualdez.
READ: Lagman believes Sara’s party resignation linked to Arroyo ouster
Liberal Party President and Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman said that Duterte’s resignation was linked to the removal of Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from the senior deputy speaker role.
Romualdez was the campaign manager of Vice President Duterte in 2022.