Villafuerte: Frasco critique may be bargaining chip to keep post

Rep. LRay Villafuerte — File photo

MANILA, Philippines — Deputy Speaker Vincent “Duke” Frasco’s criticism of House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez may just be a bargaining chip meant to keep his post into the 20th Congress, Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. LRay Villafuerte said on Monday.

In a statement, Villafuerte — president of the National Unity Party (NUP) which Frasco used to be part of — said that it seems the lawmaker from Cebu is arm-twisting Romualdez so that he will still be a deputy speaker.

Frasco broke his silence earlier regarding his refusal to sign a manifesto of support for Romualdez, saying that he believes the House needs a unifying leadership and not one that sows discord.

“Duke seems to be the one advancing his own selfish personal and partisan interests,” Villafuerte claimed. “Frasco has slighted the official NUP position of support for Congressman Martin as a shrewd political ploy to arm-twist the Speaker into keeping him as Deputy Speaker in the incoming Congress.”

“Duke was expelled last week for sowing disunity and discord himself in making his unilateral move to withdraw support from Congressman Martin in blatant contravention of the NUP’s unanimous support for the Speaker to keep his post in the next Congress — and without first consulting our party,” Villafuerte said.

Aside from this, Villafuerte also noted that it is not Romualdez, but Frasco who is sowing discord as the House lawmakers have been standing behind the Speaker, and another possible stint in the 20th Congress.

“Duke (Frasco) claims he had withdrawn his support for Speaker Martin supposedly because the quest for national unity on the Marcos presidency has been ‘undermined by political and personal interests,’” Villafuerte said.

“This certainly is highfalutin language because if there is anyone guilty of sowing disunity and discord and advancing political and personal interests, it is Duke himself,” he added.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Frasco said he believes the House should be a “partner in building the country up” and not allow the chamber to be used to sow discord.

According to Frasco, he was asked last May 14 to sign a manifesto of support for Romualdez’ continued leadership into the 20th Congress. However, he did not sign the manifesto after local leaders from Visayas and Mindanao aired “frustration” and “disappointment” over unity efforts being undermined by “politics and personal interests.”

READ: Frasco claims House needs unifying leadership; Suarez says manifesto is proof

Over the weekend, it was revealed that Frasco has been expelled from NUP.  Villafuerte, who also made the announcement, said that the party is expelling Frasco for “contravening the party’s official position to support Romualdez.”

NUP is one of the political parties belonging to the super majority coalition that is backing Romualdez to remain at the helm of the lower chamber in the next Congress.

READ: NUP expels Duke Frasco for not supporting Romualdez, says Villafuerte 

Deputy Speaker David Suarez said earlier that if Frasco is looking for unity, then the support that Romualdez got through the same manifesto that he refused to sign is enough proof.

According to Suarez, 285 members of the House have signed the manifesto as of today.

“Well, if you look at the support that Speaker Romualdez has garnered and continues to maintain — 285 congressmen have signed the manifesto support — and I think that is a true sign of unity when it comes to the members of the House of Representatives,” Suarez said.

“If we want continuity, we want true leadership that can address the issues being faced by our country, and if there is unity that needs to be shown, I think the manifesto of support that Speaker Martin Romualdez has gained up to as of this moment is a true sign of unity in the House of Representatives,” he added.

Last May 25, Suarez announced that there is a wide coalition backing Romualdez’ leadership, effectively creating a supermajority.

Aside from NUP and Romualdez’ party Lakas-CMD, Suarez said the supermajority bloc consists of the Nacionalista Party, the Nationalist People’s Coalition, Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, the Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc, and some members of the Liberal Party.

READ: Majority of LP members now part of House’s supermajority bloc 

This new supermajority, Suarez said, shows that President Marcos’ call for unity still stands. /das