Romualdez not suspended from the House of Representatives

The misleading video circulated after House Speaker Martin Romualdez spoke about Vice President Sara Duterte’s resignation from the Marcos Cabinet.

Claim: House Speaker Martin Romualdez was suspended from office.

Rating: FALSE

Why we checked this: The YouTube video making this claim, posted on June 25, has received 18,894 views, 455 likes and 82 comments.

The thumbnail of the video shows photos of Romualdez, Vice President Sara Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. holding what appears to be a document. The text on the thumbnail reads: “Pina-suspend si Martin (Martin was suspended).”

The conclusion: Romualdez remains a member of the House and is Speaker of the House of Representatives in the current 19th Congress.

While the video preview suggests that Marcos ordered Romualdez’s suspension, the president cannot suspend a sitting member of the House of Representatives. Article VI, Section 16 of the Constitution explains the process: “Each House may determine its rules of procedure, punish its members for improper conduct, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds of all its members, suspend or expel any member. The suspension imposed shall not exceed sixty days.”

Connections between Romualdez and Duterte: The misleading video did not provide any information to support his claim. Instead, the spokesman merely commented on Romualdez’s remarks on Duterte’s decision to resign from the Marcos cabinet.

When asked for comment on the vice president’s resignation as education secretary, Romualdez said: “As the vice president has said, I believe this was her personal decision and we respect that decision.”

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Romualdez served as Duterte’s campaign manager in the 2022 elections and both were members of the Lakas-CMD political party at the time. However, rumors of an alleged dispute emerged during the 2023 budget hearings when the House of Representatives stripped Duterte of her confidential funds for 2024.

The vice president’s political allies were also demoted from their high positions in the Lower House, and some lawmakers began to support investigations into the Dutertes. In particular, they passed resolutions calling on the government to cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s investigation into former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war.

On June 24, Romualdez said he wished Duterte all the best. “We wish the Vice President all the best and wish her luck in all her endeavors and in her service to the Filipino people.” – Andrei Santos/Rappler.com

Andrei Santos is a graduate of Rappler’s Fact-Checking Mentoring Program. This fact-check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s Fact-Checking Mentoring Program Here.

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