Romualdez: ‘It’s still a UniTeam’

SPEAKER Martin Romualdez yesterday said the UniTeam alliance of the Marcoses and the Dutertes stands as he expressed confidence that his relationship with Vice President Sara Duterte will eventually improve after the latter gave up her request for P650 million in confidential funds under the proposed P5.768 trillion national budget for 2024.

“We always work together, it’s still a UniTeam,” the Speaker told reporters. “The President always wants us to work together, not just in Congress with the Executive, but as a country so we will always strive for that.”

While there will always be differences even among political allies, Romualdez vowed that he would “always work towards resolving those differences for the service of the Filipino people.”

“That’s our primordial concern. We will band together and unite as one for the service of the Filipino,” said the Speaker, who celebrated his 60th birthday yesterday.

Romualdez, who has been at loggerheads with former president Rodrigo Duterte over the House’s decision to strip the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) of confidential funds next year, said the Vice President did the right thing in giving up her request and “we hail VP Sara’s decision.”

When asked if he is hoping that the House will still be able to mend broken fences with the Vice President, the Speaker said: “Always, always. I’m very, very hopeful.”

Romualdez, a first cousin of President Marcos Jr., has been defending the House from what he said were threats and intimidation from critics following the death threats made by the elder Duterte against members of the Makabayan bloc, particularly Rep. France Castro (PL, ACT).

In defending his daughter ‘s request for confidential funds last month, the former president was quoted as saying in an interview that the confidential funds for the DepEd requested by his daughter would be used for the reestablishment of the Reserve Officers Training Corps. (ROTC) and to fight off communist recruiters in the educational system.

The House of Representatives has realigned some P1.23 billion in confidential funds from several civilian government agencies to efforts to boost security in the