MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Martin Romualdez is not ready to step aside as Leyte's first district representative, filing his certificate of candidacy on Tuesday, October 1, for a potential sixth term in the position.
The House leader and the president's cousin said "people's continued support" for him inspired him to run for another three-year term to represent Leyte's first district.
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His motivation? Romualdez said he is "riding on the crest of a remarkable legislative track record" that saw him go from being a member of the House independent minority in the 16th Congress to being the Majority Leader under the 18th Congress.
Like other lawmakers who have occupied the same position intermittently for years, Romualdez is able to run for a potential sixth term because of how term limits in the 1987 Constitution are structured.
The Constitution states that members of the House of Representatives are limited to serving three consecutive terms, with each term lasting for three years.
However, if a representatives serves three consecutive terms, they can run again after sitting out for at least one term.
In 2018, then-Sen. Leila de Lima introduced a bill that sought to rationalize term limits for electoral posts to prevent political families from "exploiting" the "loopholes" in the fundamental law.
The measure — which never made it pass the committee level — was based on the principle that the drafters of the Constitution were "in agreement about the possible attendant evils if there would be no limit to re-election," De Lima said.
Romualdez first served three consecutive terms as Leyte's 1st district representative from 2007 to 2013.
After unsuccessfully running for the Senate during the 2015 national elections, Romualdez again won as Leyte's 1st district representative in the 2019 midterm elections. During this term, he served as House majority leader.
In 2022, Romualdez clinched his fifth and current term as Leyte's 1st district representative and was elected to be House speaker by the lower chamber's supermajority.
It was during his second year as House speaker in 2023 that the House of Representatives realigned the confidential and intelligence funds requested by Vice President Sara Duterte to agencies focused on defending the West Philippine Sea.
The move had angered former President Rodrigo Duterte, who took to his SMNI show to hurl accusations against Romualdez and his alleged exorbitant travel funds.
The then-growing rift between the House speaker and the elder Duterte had prompted the lower chamber to pass a resolution to "(uphold) the integrity and honor of the House of Representatives and (express) appreciation, solidarity and support" for Romualdez.
In a press release announcing his candidacy, Romualdez said he helped shepherd the 19th Congress into passing nearly all the priority measures identified by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
He vowed to continue doing so, along with a focus on "expanding educational programs, improving healthcare services, and ensuring that infratructure development in Leyte keeps pace with the province's growing needs."
The 2025 midterm elections are largely seen as a referendum on the Marcos administration, which has distanced itself from Duterte-aligned forces months before the May 2025 polls.
The House supermajority, dominated by the president' allies, has been instrumental in passing legislation that aligns with Marcos' priorities. This includes the law creating the Maharlika Investment Fund and the proposal to amend the 1987 Constitution to lift economic restrictions in key industries.