By Junex Doronio
IN AN UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENT, former President and incumbent House Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Thursday congratulated Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on his high trust rating.
“I would like to congratulate House Speaker and Lakas President Martin Romualdez on the recent OCTA Research Report reflecting a +6% increase in Trust Rating to 60%,” the former president said in a statement.
According to the third quarter survey of OCTA Research conducted from September 30 to October 4, Romualdez garnered a 60% trust rating and 61% performance rating.
Both the Speaker’s trust and performance ratings increased by 6% compared to the survey conducted in July.
Arroyo’s congratulatory remarks on MR caught many by surprise as the former president is widely known to be the political mentor of Inday Sara, monicker of Vice President Sara Duterte.
The younger Duterte was instrumental in installing FPGMA as Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2018 after ousting Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez of Davao del Norte’s 1st district.
MR — as Romualdez supporters call him — is expected to run for president in 2028 in his bid to succeed his cousin President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
MR and Inday Sara are the main protagonists in the 2028 presidential race.
(ai/mnm)
