MANILA – Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Monday that the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) has always had a good relationship with reelected Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez.

The NPC, which Sotto chairs, threw its “unconditional support” behind the Speakership bid of Romualdez

“Most of our members are good old friends with Martin. As majority leader, he has always been fair with us,” Sotto told the Philippine News Agency in a Viber message.

Prior to the NPC announcement on Sunday, the National Unity Party, one of the political parties accredited by the Commission on Elections, endorsed Romualdez during a courtesy call at his Makati residence Friday afternoon.

Former President and former House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, President Rodrigo Duterte’s PDP-Laban, presumptive Vice President Sara Duterte’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago, Nacionalista Party, and the Party-list Coalition Foundation, Inc. similarly gave their votes of confidence to Romualdez, the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats president.

“As Chairman of the NPC, and in consultation with our HOR (House of Representative) leaders, I hereby announce the unconditional support of the party to the Speakership of Congressman Martin Romualdez in the 19th Congress,” Sotto said in a statement released Sunday. (PNA)