Sara Duterte: No Speaker Romualdez in picture before VP run

Vice President Sara Duterte said Speaker Martin Romualdez wasn't in the picture when she decided to run for the second highest elective position in 2022.

Duterte released the statement after Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga said Romualdez had "taken the high road" despite "being the obvious subject of her vicious insinuations following the alleged attempt to oust him."

Barzaga said Romualdez became close to Duterte "because he was among those who convinced her to run for the post under the UniTeam ticket, which was headed by his cousin, who is now the President."

"To say that he 'tremendously helped in pushing for' my Vice Presidential bid is acutely inaccurate — an insult to thousands of groups and individuals who incessantly implored me to reconsider an earlier decision not to join national politics," Duterte said.

She said it was Senator Imee Marcos "who eventually persuaded me to run as Vice President—and it was a decision sealed only after President Bongbong Marcos agreed to the conditions I set before running for VP."

"There was no Speaker Romualdez in the picture," Duterte said.

"Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. was obviously badly informed or made to believe a lie," she added.

Priority bills

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Barzaga said Romualdez continued to work on the priority bills of the Marcos administration despite Duterte's "insinuations."

Barzaga adverted to Duterte acknowledging Marcos in a speech but pointing out that she would no longer mention his middle name.

Marcos and Romualdez are first cousins and Romualdez is the President's middle name.

Duterte had also posted a cryptic message on her social media accounts.

"In your ambition, do not be tambaloslos," Duterte said, without naming the person to whom she was referring.

Lakas-CMD

After Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was removed from being Senior Deputy Speaker and relegated to Deputy Speaker, Duterte resigned from the Lakas-CMD—the party under which she ran in 2022.

Romualdez is the president of Lakas-CMD while Arroyo is its chairperson-emeritus. Duterte was its chairperson before she resigned.

In October 2021, Marcos and Duterte met in Cebu at the birthday party of Romualdez's wife, Tingog Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez. Imee was also present at the meeting.

In November 2021, Romualdez administered the party's oath to Duterte and welcomed then President Rodrigo Duterte's daughter to Lakas-CMD.

Duterte then filed her COC for vice president, substituting for Lakas-CMD member Lyle Uy.

‘Attack and humor’

Duterte in her statement said, "A person who cannot distinguish between attack and humor has no place in politics."

"Wspecially if one fails to understand that political bickering is just a facet of democracy and should not be used to equate with governance," Duterte said.

"On the one hand, how the recent political developments have become an opportunity for sycophants is quite amusing," she added.

Duterte said the Marcos administration is stable and strong.

"It has my all-out support and the support of the majority of the Filipino people," Duterte said. —NB, GMA Integrated News