DEPUTY Speaker and Cebu 5th District Rep. Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco has confirmed that he did not sign the manifesto endorsing Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez’s continued speakership for the 20th Congress.
“I confirm I did not sign,” Frasco stated in a text message to SunStar Cebu on Saturday, June 7, 2025, providing no further comments regarding his decision as of press time.
Following this stance, National Unity Party (NUP) president and Camarines Sur Rep. L-Ray Villafuerte announced that the party had expelled Frasco for supposedly contravening its position on House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s speakership.
Villafuerte said the decision to expel Frasco was not taken lightly, expressing surprise about Frasco’s sudden refusal to sign the manifesto when the party’s decision to support Romualdez had been made “almost a month ago.”
Villafuerte, in a statement said, “The party leadership has decided to expel Duke (Frasco) from the NUP because his unilateral decision not to support Representative Martin’s continued stay as Speaker in the next Congress is a blatant breach of the NUP’s official position of unequivocal support for the Speaker to keep his premier post in the next Congress… Given that this has been the unanimous stance of our party, Duke’s one-man decision to withdraw support from the Speaker runs counter to the NUP’s official manifestation of support for Congressman Martin – and that means his status as a member of our party has become untenable.”
Despite Frasco’s non-participation and subsequent expulsion, Romualdez is poised to retain his position, having garnered support from over 240 lawmakers, surpassing the two-thirds majority threshold in the 315-member House.
House Deputy Speaker and Quezon 2nd District Rep. David “Jay-Jay” Suarez confirmed this figure, emphasizing that the backing comes from various major political parties, including Lakas-CMD, National Unity Party, Nationalist People’s Coalition, Nacionalista Party, Partido Federal ng Pilipinas and the Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc.
Suarez highlighted that as of today, 285 House members have expressed support for Speaker Romualdez, with 278 lawmakers having already signed formal declarations, including four out of six members of the Liberal Party who are now part of the larger movement for legislative continuity and national stability. Suarez noted that this broad coalition reflects a collective commitment to stability and progress under Romualdez’s leadership, adding that the Speaker has earned the trust of both current and incoming House members through principled and results-oriented leadership.
“The Speaker is also heeding the President’s call for results-oriented leadership, as demonstrated by the House of Representatives’ swift approval of the majority of priority measures aligned with the Chief Executive’s legislative agenda,” Suarez said. He also refuted speculations of a power struggle in the House in light of possible contenders for the Speakership or dissenting voices, affirming that a clear majority still supports Romualdez’s continued leadership.
While the manifesto has secured substantial support, the absence of signatures from lawmakers like Frasco indicates that not all members are aligned with the supermajority coalition, though the specific reasons behind such individual decisions remain undisclosed.
Meanwhile, House spokesperson Princes Abante, in a statement, said that it doesn’t matter who didn’t sign, but who continues to serve.
The 20th Congress is set to convene in July, where the formal election of the Speaker will take place, and given the overwhelming support, Romualdez is expected to continue his leadership in the House of Representatives. / CAV