* Rep. Polong: “Change of face but the same rotten system”
By Ivy Tejano
DAVAO CITY – Vice President Sara Duterte cast doubts Thursday, on the recent leadership change in the House of Representatives, pointing out that incoming Speaker Rep. Faustino Dy III belongs to the inner circle of former Speaker Martin Romualdez and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
In an interview with Davao reporters, Vice President Duterte declined to comment directly on Romualdez’s resignation as Speaker but criticized President Marcos for allowing lawmakers to step down from leadership or travel abroad, which she said enables them to avoid accountability.
“The speaker change seems to be just for show — to give the impression that the House is responding to public complaints. But they are all from the same group,” Vice President Duterte said.
She identified the new speaker as part of the faction led by Romualdez and presidential relatives, including House Majority Leader Rep. Sandro Marcos.
“They are all the same group as Martin Romualdez, Sandro Marcos, and this points to BBM (Bongbong Marcos),” Vice President Duterte added.
Vice President Duterte claimed that Dy’s close ties to Romualdez are well-known, linking him through Isabela Governor Rodito Albano and Isabela Rep. Tonypet Albano.
The Vice President further alleged that decisions, including plans for the 2026 budget, were being coordinated solely within this circle in preparation for the 2028 presidential elections.
Romualdez resigned from the speakership on Wednesday, September 17, amid allegations connecting him to the controversial flood control project, which is currently under investigation by both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Dy, who reportedly has affiliations with President Marcos’s Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), has since assumed the position of House Speaker.
For his part, Davao City first district Rep. Paolo Duterte called on President Marcos to take more decisive action against corruption. He said if the President is serious about corruption, he must file cases against corrupt legislators.
Rep. Paolo criticized the replacement of Romualdez with Dy, questioning the role of Rep. Marcos in the move.
“Who made the choice? No one else but Sandro Marcos, a partymate in Partido Federal and the President’s son. Another cover-up move? Just a change of face but the same rotten system,” Duterte said in a statement.
Pwersa ng Pilipinong Pandagat party-list Rep. Harold Duterte, meanwhile, called on the new House Speaker to demonstrate empathy towards ordinary Filipinos, particularly workers and fisherfolk, while ensuring that accountability remains within Congress.
