Speaker to seek reelection, not Senate seat

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Martin Romualdez has doused speculations that he would be running for senator in the May 2025 midterm polls, saying he would seek reelection as the congressman of Leyte’s first district, where he is now on his second term.

“I will perhaps stay on as Leyte congressman and I’ll just do my work in the first district,” he told reporters Wednesday after the groundbreaking ceremonies for a hemodialysis center at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute in Quezon City.

That was the reply of the leader of the House of Representatives when he was asked whether he was planning to seek a seat in the Senate in next year’s midterm elections. When followed up with a query about the May 2028 presidential polls, he said: “That’s still too far off.”

There have been rumors Romualdez – a first cousin of President Marcos – is gunning for the presidency four years from now.

Romualdez, on the other hand, has been mum about his rumored plan to succeed Marcos.

But when asked for his comment about the plan of the Dutertes – former president Rodrigo and his sons Davao City Mayor Sebastian and Davao City Rep. Paolo, he replied: “This is a democratic country. Anybody can run for any seat in government.”

Romualdez sits as president of the ruling and most dominant Lakas-CMD party in the country.

Meanwhile, one of the most outspoken critics of former president Duterte in the House of Representatives who sued him for alleged grave threats accepted yesterday the challenge of her fellow teachers – which is to join the May 2025 midterm elections.

“I humbly accept the challenge you have given me,” Rep. France Castro, who represents the party-list ACT Teachers, said in response to the organization of retired public school teachers who wanted the progressive lawmaker to run for senator in next year’s polls.

The Quezon City prosecutor’s office dismissed last January the grave threats she filed against Duterte, due to lack of evidence, which was borne out of a death threat issued in October 2023 on a TV show on a network owned by his buddy Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, which discussed several national issues.

The retired teachers’ group proposed it would be best if Castro –