Lawmaker defends Speaker’s joining Marcos foreign trips

MANILA, Philippines — A key member of the House of Representatives defended yesterday Speaker Martin Romualdez from criticisms he has been preoccupied with joining international trips of his maternal cousin, President Marcos.

“The presence of the Speaker in presidential trips is proof of the cooperation and partnership of the executive and legislative branches of government,” Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga declared.

“There is nothing wrong for President Marcos Jr. to invite, and for the Speaker to accept his invitation, to join him in his visits. The President obviously wants him there so that a leader of Congress could immediately answer legislation-related questions,” he added.

Gonzales explained that as leader of the House, the Speaker could make commitments for the larger chamber of Congress insofar as needed legislation is concerned, and make the necessary representations the local parliament needs to have.

The administration stalwart said the Marcos administration is apparently taking the whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach that other countries have adopted in addressing national issues.

“This tack has proven effective in addressing domestic concerns, as it calls for the collaboration of all sectors,” he said, commending Romualdez for participating in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and in other foreign and local presidential trips.

Such cooperation results in faster passage of laws needed for national development and economic growth, like the set of priority administration bills recently approved by the House on third and final reading, Gonzales added.

The Pampanga congressman also pointed out that Marcos’ job of convincing foreign businessmen to invest here would be easier if he impresses them with a government that is acting as one in welcoming them.

“No investor in his right mind would sink his money in a nation with a fractious national leadership,” Gonzales said.

He said the Speaker’s presence is especially important in local presidential visits as he could immediately respond to legislative concerns.

Marcos himself has defended Romualdez’s presence in his trips.

“That’s easy to answer. For example, the Speaker needs to be here and that also includes Senator Mark Villar, because we have to present members of the legislature because of all of these changes in policy that we are talking about,” the President told Palace reporters.