Speaker Romualdez addresses ‘coup’ rumors; says House ‘to focus on work’

House Speaker Martin Romualdez. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Martin Romualdez on Sunday addressed “coup” rumors at the House of Representatives following Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s statement, saying that her actions may have been misinterpreted and it is not her goal to be elected as House speaker.

“There is still much work to do, so occasional moves to destabilize the House should be nipped in the bud,” Romualdez said in a statement.

“Rather than engaging in politicking, I would rather that we, in the House of Representatives, remain focused on more urgent matters. The Uniteam, which the House leadership has always been a part of, must continue to focus on finding immediate solutions to problems of ordinary Filipinos,” he added.

On May 18, former president Arroyo refuted the allegation that she was staging a coup, clarifying that her political objectives are to represent the 2nd district of Pampanga, support Romualdez and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and use her knowledge as the country’s previous chief executive to help the current administration when needed.

Romualdez, on the other hand, stressed that the House of Representatives is in order, adding that this “same level of order is what allowed them to approve on third and final reading at least 29 of the 42 bills that comprise the legislative agenda of Marcos.”

“These include measures condoning the debts of our agrarian reform beneficiaries, creation of specialty centers in the provinces similar to the Lung and Heart Centers in Metro Manila, and the Magna Carta bills that seek to protect the rights and promote the welfare of our Barangay Health Workers and Seafarers,” Romualdez enumerated.

He said that the government should prioritize the welfare of locals nationwide.

“Isantabi na po ang pamumulitika na wala sa tamang panahon. Kung mas mapagtutuunan natin nang mas maraming oras ang paghahanap ng solusyon sa mga tunay na suliranin ng karaniwang Pilipino, sama-sama tayong babangon muli,” he stressed.

(Set aside politics; this is not the right time for that. If we can focus more time on finding solutions to the real problems of the ordinary Filipino, together we will rise again.)

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JPV