The Philippines: Duterte warns Romualdez vs House ‘coup’

• President Duterte jumped the gun and pre-empted any move on the part of Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez to take the speakership through a rumored coup in the House of Representatives.
• “Don’t go chasing after that,” said Duterte as an apparent reference to speculations that Romualdez, currently the House majority leader, was looking to oust Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.
• Rumors swelled the past week that Romualdez was allegedly gathering support to take over Velasco’s post in a bid to strengthen the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD)’s position in Congress.
• Duterte nipped any such scenario in the bud, recommending instead that Romualdez, the national president of Lakas-CMD, focus his energies elsewhere.
• Duterte had chosen Velasco to serve as Speaker under a term-sharing agreement with another ally, Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, who assumed the speakership first in 2019.
• Recently, the Lakas-CMD approved resolutions supporting the possible presidential bid of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and renewing the party’s coalition with her regional party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP).
• It also approved a motion in support of Romualdez if he decides to run for vice president.
• In response, Pangasinan Rep. Christopher de Venecia has denied the allegations, arguing that there was no warning from Duterte on the alleged coup plot against the House leadership by Romualdez.
• In a statement sent to The STAR, De Venecia said the President never mentioned any coup rumor during the event, dismissing the report as “fake news”.

External Link : https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/06/25/2107949/duterte-warns-romualdez-vs-house-coup

External Link : https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/06/26/2108177/no-duterte-warning-romualdez-over-house-coup