Ni NOEL ABUEL
Nagpahayag na rin ng suporta ang liderato ng Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) sa pangunguna ni Senate President Vicente Sotto III kay House Majority Leader at Leyte Rep. Martin G. Romualdez para maging susunod na speaker ng House of Representatives sa 19th Congress.
Sa idinaos na NPC Fellowship and Thanksgiving Dinner noong nakalipas na Sabado ng gabi sa Makati Diamond Residences, inihayag ng mga opisyales at miyembro ng NPC ang suporta kay Romualdez para maging House Speaker sa darating na Kongreso.
“With the authority given to me, I hereby declare that the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) in the House of Representatives will support the speakership of Martin Romualdez. I mentioned it before, but tonight (Saturday) we make it official,” pahayag ni Sotto.
Kabilang din sa mga dumalo sa nasabing okasyon sina Senators-elect Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Loren Legarda, Win Gatchalian, JV Ejercito, at Rizal Rep. Jack Duavit.
Si Romualdez, na tumatayong pangulo ng Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) at nangungunang contender sa speakership, ay naging bahagi ng NPC’s fellowship dinner na inorganisa nina NPC Secretary General Mark Llandro “Dong” Mendoza at Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga.
“We assure you (party members) that this party has always been there, strong, will remain strong and under the leadership of the new Speaker Martin Romualdez, I’m sure that we will have a very good 19th Congress in the House of Representatives,” ayon pa kay Sotto na nagsabing ang NPC ang ikalawang pinakamalaking at most loyal political party sa bansa.
Sinabi naman ni NPC stalwart at Rizal 1st District Rep. Jack Duavit na ang NPC ay solid partner ni Romualdez sa pagsusulong ng legislative agenda sa darating na bagong administrasyon ni presumptive President Ferdinand Marcos Jr..
“We just like you (Romualdez) to know that we are not just going to be your partners, we are always your friends, you can count on our support because we know that your cousin and yourself are out to rebuild this nation and we want to be a part of that and we want to be a part of that success,” sa pahayag ni Duavit.
Sinabi naman ni Escudero na tinitiyak nito kay Romualdez na ang NPC ay tutulong at magiging kaalyado sa susunod na Kongreso.
“Hindi man nagnanais ang NPC Speaker Martin na maging kasingdami ng ibang partido, matitiyak naman namin ang isang bagay na nakita ko na at naganap sa ilang dekada ko na sa pulitika, ang NPC hindi man ganu’n karami, iisa ang paninindigan, iisa ang posisyon at palaging nagkakaisa sa iisang layunin, mithiin at pangarap para sa ating bansa, sa ilalim ng iyong liderato sa Kamara, naniniwala ako malaki ang papel na puwedeng gampanan ng mga miyembro ng NPC para isulong ang iyong mga mithiin bilang bagong Speaker ng Kamara de Representantes,” ani Escudero.
Pinasalamatan naman ni Romualdez, ang NPC partikular si outgoing Senate President Sotto sa paninindigan nitong suportahan ang kanyang layunin na maging lider ng Kamara.
“Salamat po sa NPC, sa chairperson, Senate President Tito Sotto. As you know I have always admired you from a far because at the Lower House, we would always watch what you would do, a true leader, a consensus-builder. You have steered the Senate through troubled waters and you always navigated [in the right direction]. That’s why we admire you and the party, the NPC that you symbolize and represent. Maraming-maraming salamat po sa lahat ng tulong at suporta,” masayang pahayag pa ni Romualdez.
“We are very inspired and we are very elated sa mga sinabi mo (Duavit) that you would like to be part of the nation-building with President-elect Bongbong Marcos. It will be very important to hit the ground running so to speak,” dagdag nito.
“We will have a great partnership with the Senate and of course in consonance with the legislative agenda of the [incoming] administration. I am sure that at the heels of this pandemic, we will be at the road to recovery not just health wise, but economically, that’s what we look forward,” ayon pa kay Romualdez.
“The theme of the campaign of President BBM was unity and that’s what I environ most in NPC, you always have this unity in the party, tonight I see this unity, I see this unity spreading not just within Congress, but within the country. When you work together as one, we can face all these challenges together, with that, I’m assured that this country will rise again and succeed, maraming-maraming salamat sa suporta n’yo, mabuhay ang NPC,” paliwanag pa nito.
Ang NPC bloc, na binubuo ng 39 House members, ay nangakong susuportahan ang Bayan Bangon Muli o BBM stimulus package bill ni Romualdez na unang tugon ng Marcos government sa pandemya.
Habang ang iba pang political parties sa Kamara na nagpahayag ng suporta kay Romualdez ay ang PDP-Laban, National Unity Party, Party-list Coalition Foundation, Inc., Nacionalista Party, Liberal Party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago, Lakas-CMD, at ng mga independents, at neophyte o first-term congressmen.
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