Deputy Speaker and La Union Representative Paolo Ortega has brushed aside rumors of a looming shake-up in the House of Representatives, stressing that the chamber remains united under Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
In an ambush interview on Wednesday, Ortega described the supposed leadership change as nothing more than idle chatter. “There is no change of leadership […] Well, maraming chismis, pero sabi ko nga, chismis, mga bulong-bulong. Pero, as you can see, the House is one, the House is solid, and there is no change in leadership,” he said, as quoted by Inquirer.net.
To underscore his point, Ortega posted a photo showing party leaders, including Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, meeting with Romualdez. He said the image itself reflects the solidarity of the House leadership. “I think the photo will speak for itself na kitang-kita namang nagkakaisa po ang House of Representatives at saka ang mga party leaders,” he added.
Ortega acknowledged that some lawmakers had received anonymous calls hinting at a shake-up, but said these were vague and lacked credibility. “Tawag lang ’yung naririnig ko, tawag-tawag lang […] na may tumatawag sa ibang members. Pero hindi rin nagpapakilala,” he explained. According to him, similar whispers had circulated even before the 20th Congress but never materialized.
The rumors come on the heels of political shifts in the Senate, where Vicente Sotto III replaced Francis Escudero as Senate President following controversy over campaign donations linked to a contractor.
In the House, Speaker Romualdez has recently been dragged into corruption allegations after contractor couple Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II and Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya claimed lawmakers were pocketing a percentage of funds meant for infrastructure projects, supposedly with cuts going to Romualdez and Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co.
Romualdez swiftly rejected the accusations, branding them as “false, malicious, and nothing more than name-dropping.” He insisted that if anyone used his name to solicit money, it was done without his knowledge or consent, stressing that he has never accepted bribes.
