Romualdez doubts Zamora will truly back minority in 16th Congress

Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr. of the Lakas-CMD political party. INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines – Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) president Ferdinand Martin Romualdez doubts if San Juan Representative Ronaldo Zamora will indeed take the side of the minority bloc if he gets to lead the group in the 16th Congress.

He told reporters in a press conference Wednesday that it was unclear what affiliation Zamora will honor if he wins the battle for minority leader.

“He ran under a local party but he is affiliated with the Nacionalista Party (NP). The NP is [allied] with the Liberal Party (LP). It is incongruent for the NP to go minority,” said Romualdez.

Zamora may be banking on NP’s support in the race for the minority leader position but it seemed unlikely that the party, allied with the LP, would give the San Juan lawmaker its votes, according to Romualdez.

“It will be difficult for them to vote for Zamora since (it is expected that) Belmonte will get the numbers,” he said.

Although it seems likely that the members of the minority bloc in the 15th Congress will back the Lakas-CMD official, outgoing minority leader Danilo Suarez said that there was a possibility the San Juan legislator would join their ranks if Romualdez receives more support.

But Suarez said if Zamora gets the numbers “we might join him.”

Romualdez however said that the “situation was very fluid… medyo malabo pa (still uncertain). Those in the majority are still waiting for commitments from Speaker (Feliciano Belmonte Jr).”

By commitments, he meant lawmakers’ requests for chairmanship of House committees.

“Yung mga masama ang loob (sa majority) siguro dadami yan dahil lahat gusto maging chairman (Frustration in ranks of the majority will grow as many were aiming the chairmanship) and not everyone can be accommodated,” the Leyte lawmaker said.

He added that reports that Belmonte already had the House speakership “in the bag” were still premature as at this time “anything can happen.”

“We will see as the days unfold and positions become firmer. When these are finally committed, we will then realize who’s who,” said Romualdez.

“We cannot predict the final numbers today but that will be known in three and a half weeks,” he added.