WITHOUT doubt, only a few voices in government agencies and offices, including the two-chamber Congress, are capable of “working in unison” with all sectors of Philippine society.
One of them is Leyte Rep. Martin G. Romualdez, a lawyer by profession and president of the Philippine Constitution Association and Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) party.
As Majority Floor Leader of the House of Representatives, the highly-articulate and workaholic Romualdez assured his colleagues that he will be working with them “diligently and fairly.”
“I’m the majority leader…It is my duty to work as a leader not only of the majority coalition, but also of the minority and independent bloc members,” the United States-educated Romualdez said.
At the same time, Romualdez explained that his closeness to Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor will never change as the party-list solon is also a member of the influential Lakas-CMD party.
“Cong. Mike Defensor is a friend, a dear friend. It is also true that he is affiliated with our party, the Lakas-CMD, along with other party-list congressmen and congresswomen who we consider as allies in the House of Representatives,” he said.
Romualdez added: “I respect Mike’s diligence, views and opinions, political and otherwise. More than a friend to Mike, I am the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives. It is my duty to work as a leader.”
Defensor and five other congressmen have joined former Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano in forming a new independent bloc, BTS or Back to Service, in the Lower Chamber of Congress.
In the eyes of the public, Romualdez is capable of working with all his colleagues in the House of Representatives to ensure the swift passage of President Rodrigo Duterte’s legislative agenda.
Like other public servants, elected and appointed, our lawmakers have no choice but to work together for the benefit of our suffering people from Batanes in the North to Sulu in Mindanao.
