Bojie Dy inherits a fractured House but wins broader support than Romualdez

MANILA, Philippines — Newly elected House Speaker Faustino "Bojie" Dy III received the support of some of Rep. Martin Romualdez's vocal critics, having earned 28 abstentions from the lower chamber as opposed to his predecessor's 34. 

Three formerly independent lawmakers, namely Reps. Toby Tiangco (Navotas, Lone District), Duke Frasco (Cebu, 5th District) and Albee Benitez (Bacolod, Lone District), voted in favor of the new speaker.

As Dy assumed his speakership on Wednesday, September 17, the three lawmakers presumably joined the majority bloc. 

Typically, lawmakers who vote for the elected House speaker become members of the majority bloc unless they declare their position as independent or minority.  

Frasco's staff confirmed to Philstar.com that the lawmaker will officially join the majority as he backs Dy's leadership.

"I extend my full support to Congressman Bojie Dy as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives. I am confident in his leadership and know him to be a man of integrity and good character," Frasco said in a statement. 

Benitez's staff also confirmed the lawmaker's membership in the majority, saying in a statement that the change in leadership is "a good move." 

"That is probably the best way to move forward so we can at least see and find the truth in a problem that’s rocking the House," he added in mixed English and Filipino. 

Shifts. The three previously abstained in the vote for Romualdez's speakership when the 20th Congress first convened on July 28. 

Frasco, Tiangco and Benitez's names were previously floated to either challenge or succeed Romualdez. They were among the lawmakers who said Romualdez's leadership only fostered more division than unity upon moving in support of Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment, on top of the alleged budget insertions. 

No lawmaker, however, had nominated either of them when the floor was open for nomination during Wednesday's plenary session. But when Rep. Paolo Henry Marcoleta (SAGIP Party-list) expressed his intention to abstain, he said he would have voted for one of them if they were nominated. 

Not in the running. Asked why Benitez and Tiangco were no longer considered to take Romualdez's seat, House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, said Tiangco preferred not to run for speaker after being one of the most vocal on the allegedly corrupt-laden flood control projects. Benitez, he said, "gave way" to Dy's speakership. 

Dy was elected the new House speaker after Romualdez resigned, securing 253 votes. His predecessor stepped down to allow the executive's independent probe into the government's infrastructure projects to "pursue its mandate freely and fully."   

Romualdez was implicated in the alleged corruption in Congress, and Dy vowed in his first speech to "clean the House" without defending the guilty. 

RELATED: Bojie Dy takes over as House speaker, replaces Romualdez