By Billy Begas
The Deputy Secretary General of the PDP-Laban party stressed on Wednesday that the political exercise done by the House of Representatives should not be misconstrued for anything else.
Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel issued the statement after Vice President Sara Duterte took a swipe at Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
The reported bickering between Duterte and Romualdez reportedly stemmed from the demotion of former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from Senior Deputy Speaker to Deputy Speaker.
“A political exercise done to ensure that the House of Representatives continues to work smoothly and in sync with the legislative agenda of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. should not be misconstrued for anything else,” Pimentel said.
“The tensions have already been defused following the leadership movements in the House. Let us not exaggerate this anymore,” the lawmaker added.
Following the demotion of Arroyo, Duterte resigned from the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD). Later, Duterte said she refused to mention the middle initial of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in a speech.
The President’s middle name is Romualdez. The President and the Speaker are cousins.
In a statement last Wednesday, Duterte stressed that Romualdez has nothing to do with her decision to run for vice president in the 2022 elections.
Pimentel said the House has a lot to do and should instead focus on helping Marcos fulfill his agenda for the country.
“We have so much work to do in Congress to be able to fulfill the President’s agenda of economic renewal and prosperity for all Filipinos. As noted by the Vice President, political disagreements stand as part and parcel of the democratic process,” Pimentel added. “ Let us leave it at that and focus instead on realizing our collective goal of providing a safe, comfortable life for every Filipino.”
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