Palace: Change in House leadership not up to Marcos

Malacañang on Thursday said President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has nothing to do with the selection of and changes in leadership of the House of Representatives.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro was asked for comment on rumors that a change of leadership was imminent in the lower chamber, with House Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno supposedly replacing Speaker Faustino "Bojie" Dy III.

The Palace official said the House leadership is not in the hands of the President. 

"Ang pagpili po kasi ng liderato ng Kongreso ay wala naman po sa kamay ng Pangulo. Kung ano po ang kanilang magiging desisyon diyan, kung ano ang kanilang pagiging pagpapatakbo diyan hindi po iyan saklaw ng Pangulo," Castro said. 

(Choosing the leader of Congress is not in the hands of the President. Whatever their decision is no longer within the President's reach.)

"So, nasa kanila po iyan kung ano po iyong nais nilang gawin sa House of Representatives," she added.

(It's up to them whatever they want to do in the House of Representatives.) 

Dy replaced the President's cousin, Leyte 1st District Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, after the latter's name was dragged in the flood control corruption scandal.

Dy, also the representative of Isabela 6th District, was elected to the helm of the lower chamber on September 17 this year with 253 lawmakers voting for him, 28 abstaining, and no negative votes.

Romualdez has since maintained innocence over the scandal.

GMA News Online has requested comment from Dy, Puno, and other House leaders regarding the matter, but they have yet to respond as of posting time.  — VDV, GMA Integrated News