SEVERAL members of the Duterte family, including Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, walked out of the House plenary after the roll call on Monday, July 28, 2025, refusing to vote for newly re-elected House Speaker Martin Romualdez and criticizing the speakership race as a betrayal of public service.
Duterte, joined by his son Omar Duterte (Davao City, 2nd District) and cousin Harold Duterte (PPP Party-list), said they were standing by their principles and distancing themselves from what they described as a “political circus” that puts power struggles above the interests of the Filipino people.
“I did not vote for Speaker and I did not join the so-called Minority because I refuse to take part in a political circus that has long forgotten who it is supposed to serve — the Filipino people,” Paolo Duterte said in a strongly worded statement.
“I walked out after the roll call with my fellow Davao legislators because I represent the people of Davao City, not the political puppeteers nor the self-serving actors parading as public servants in Congress,” he added.
Romualdez was re-elected unopposed as House Speaker, securing 269 votes, with 34 lawmakers abstaining. No representative voted against him.
Duterte bloc breaks away
While Romualdez enjoyed a commanding mandate in the House, the move was not without dissent. The walkout by Pulong and other Dutertes highlighted the growing divide between the former ruling family and the current House leadership.
Neophyte lawmakers Omar and Harold Duterte, who both won in the 2025 midterm elections, issued a joint statement expressing that their decision not to participate in the vote stemmed from a desire to serve their constituents without being tied to partisan politics.
“Our decision not to vote demonstrates our dedication to serving our constituents without partisan constraints,” the two said.
Meanwhile, Rep. Isidro Ungab (Davao City, 3rd District), a known Duterte ally, chose to abstain and announced his intention to join the independent bloc. Ungab previously drew national attention after he revealed that there were blank items in the 2025 national budget, which House leaders later downplayed as "typographical errors" in the bicameral conference report.
Tensions between Romualdez and the Dutertes
The protest by Duterte-aligned lawmakers comes amid a long-simmering rift between the Marcos and Duterte families, with Speaker Romualdez often seen at the center of the widening divide.
Under Romualdez’s leadership, the House denied Vice President Sara Duterte’s request for confidential funds for her proposed Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program under the Department of Education. The same budget item was swiftly granted to the Office of the President, fueling suspicions of political maneuvering.
This prompted former President Rodrigo Duterte to accuse Romualdez of conspiring with progressive lawmakers to weaken his daughter’s position. The elder Duterte also pointed to what he claimed was growing collusion between the Speaker and the left-leaning Makabayan bloc.
‘This is not governance’
In his statement, Rep. Paolo Duterte likened the current House to a “hollow theater,” where leadership is treated as a political prize instead of a public responsibility.
“What we are seeing is not governance — it is a game of thrones being played at the expense of the people,” he said. “The public deserves better than political charades that reek of ambition, betrayal, and manufactured allegiances.”
“If standing up for dignity and refusing to join this farce is seen as defiance, then so be it. I did not run for Congress to play along. I ran to represent the interests of my constituents — with honor, conviction, and the courage to walk away from what is wrong.”
The House convened for the opening session of the 20th Congress on July 28, just hours ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fourth State of the Nation Address (Sona).