MANILA – House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez honored the late Albay Representative Edcel Lagman on Wednesday (05 Feb 2025) during a necrological service at the House of Representatives Plenary Hall, calling him “a true statesman” committed to democracy, human rights, and progressive legislation.

In his eulogy, Romualdez described Lagman as a man of conviction, steadfast in his principles and unafraid to stand alone in the pursuit of justice and governance for the marginalized.

“To speak of Edcel Lagman is to speak of a statesman in the truest sense,” Romualdez said, emphasizing Lagman’s legacy of advocacy for human rights, reproductive health, and good governance.

Romualdez highlighted Lagman’s pivotal contributions to landmark laws, including the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act, the abolition of the death penalty, and the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act. Despite the challenges these reforms faced, Lagman’s dedication to uplifting the forgotten was unwavering.

“Edcel was more than his legislative achievements,” Romualdez remarked. “He was a mentor, a fierce yet respectful adversary, and a defender of democracy through dialogue and dissent.”

Romualdez further reflected on the values that Lagman embodied: debating fiercely but fairly, disagreeing without dehumanizing, and holding true to principles in the face of power. He urged fellow lawmakers to emulate Lagman’s example of integrity and public service.

Concluding his tribute, Romualdez assured Lagman’s family that his impact would persist through the laws he championed and the principles he upheld. “Edcel Lagman does not belong to the past. His work, his words, and his wisdom belong to the future,” he said.

ia/mnm

By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. attended the signing of an alliance between the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) and the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, stating that such a move marks a significant moment for Philippine politics and public service.

The new alliance aims to uplift the lives of the Filipino people under a unified “Bagong Pilipinas.”

“Today marks a significant moment not only for Philippine politics but also for the field of public service, as members of both parties formalize and build an alliance that will propel our country towards the Bagong Pilipinas that we envision,” Marcos said.

“We see that the public wholeheartedly accepts our message of unity. Moreover, when we succeeded in our campaign, we continued to foster unity because we initiated a whole-of-government approach,” he added.

Meanwhile, Marcos emphasized that his government is committed to transformative governance.

“We need to change the way the government is run. We must rethink and consider our governance, and where we are headed. And we have to position the Philippines in a way that will fully leverage the new economy,” he told the members.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Saying that the Philippines is one of the beneficiaries of an $8.1 billion aid package from the US government intended for its Indo-Pacific allies, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Tuesday (23 April 2024) thanked the US House for the grant.

The leader of the 300-plus-strong House of Representatives said the grant would benefit Filipinos amid escalating tensions in the West Philippine Sea.

“This multifaceted assistance package reaffirms America’s steadfast commitment to promoting peace, prosperity, and security in the Indo-Pacific and beyond,” Romualdez said in a statement.

It was gathered that the US House of Representatives recently approved the Indo-Pacific Supplemental Appropriations Act, granting an $8.1 billion emergency aid package to Taiwan, the Philippines, and other allies in the Indo-Pacific region.

Reports said US Rep. Darrell Issa introduced an amendment to the bill encouraging the US State Department to allocate $500 million in Foreign Military Financing to the Philippines.

The US Senate is expected to pass the measure next week, sending it to US President Joe Biden to sign into law.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — House Speaker Martin Romualdez said that he agrees with the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in their message to support Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio.
“I agree with the overseas Filipino worker who greeted me in Japan with a placard bearing a significant message. We should all support and respect the Vice President,” Romualdez said in a statement.

“The same respect and support that we should extend to the President and other government officials,” he added.

The statement was made after his encounter with OFWs in Japan, in which he was greeted by them with placards: “Please support VP Inday Sara Duterte.”

Romualdez is a former Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) partymate of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio before the latter resigned last May lamenting political “toxicity” and “powerplay” within the ruling political party.

(ai/mnm)

By Junex Doronio

THE BATTLE LINES ARE DRAWN with nine senators fully backing Vice President Sara Duterte’s “right” to her P650-million confidential funds for 2024 even as the majority of the 316 members of the House of Representatives have expressed support to the leadership of Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez.

Vice President Duterte and Speaker Romualdez are believed to be the main protagonists in the 2028 presidential race, with Senator Risa Hontiveros as the probable “third force” standard bearer of a “center-moderate left coalition.”

At least nine senators reportedly want VP Duterte to have P650 million in confidential funds back despite the House of Representatives earlier decision to channel it to other government agencies.

The “pro-Sara” senators were identified as Sens. Robinhood Padilla, Christopher “Bong” Go, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Jinggoy Estrada, Lito Lapid, Francis Tolentino, and Cynthia Villar.

To recall, in October the House of Representatives decided to realign the P650-million total of confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) to agencies involved in safeguarding the country’s security and sovereignty in the face of Chinese incursions and harassments.

“It is essential to understand that this decision was made for the benefit of the nation and not as a personal affront to any individual, including VP Duterte,” said the congressmen from different political parties that support the leadership of Romualdez.

Notably, the beneficiaries of the House’s realignment of the confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education include the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (P300 million), the National Security Council (P100 million), and the Philippine Coast Guard (P200 million).

(ai/mnm)