MANILA – Cebu 5th District congressman Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco was removed from the National Unity Party for his refusal to support House of Representatives’ Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
NUP president and Camarines Sur 2nd District’s Cong. LRay Villafuerte said Frasco’s decision not to support Romualdez was a “blatant breach of the NUP’s official position of unequivocal support for the Speaker to keep his premier post in the next Congress.”
Villafuerte added that Frasco should have first discussed his contrary position with the NUP leadership, “rather than go out in public and breach our unanimous party decision.”
“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 means his status as a member of our party has become untenable,” Villafuerte said.
Frasco, in an interview with local media in Cebu, confirmed that he did not sign the manifesto supporting the continued speakership of Romualdez for the 20th Congress.
“I will issue an official statement in the coming days as to the reason why I did not sign the manifesto of support,” Frasco said.
Frasco also acknowledged the possible consequence of his decision, saying he expects not to be elected as House Deputy Speaker in the next Congress.
In the meantime, House spokesperson Princess Abante stated that legislators from various regions of the country — including representatives from Central Visayas — have reiterated their backing for Romualdez’s leadership.
As of Saturday, Abante noted that 285 members of the forthcoming 20th Congress had conveyed their endorsement for the Leyte lawmaker.
Furthermore, Abante mentioned that the House is committed to advancing legislation aimed at making food more affordable, enhancing healthcare accessibility, increasing job availability, and providing greater support for workers, farmers, and small enterprises./PN
