TINANGGAL ng National Unity Party (NUP), isa sa mga partidong kabilang sa supermajority coalition na sumusuporta kay Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez upang manatili sa pamumuno ng mas malaking kapulungan sa darating na ika-20 Kongreso, si Deputy Speaker at Cebu Rep. Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco bilang kasapi ng NUP dahil sa pagsalungat niya sa opisyal na posisyon ng partido na suportahan si Romualdez, ayon kay NUP President at CamSur Rep. LRay Villafuerte.

“The party leadership has decided to expel Duke (Frasco) from the NUP because his unilateral decision not to support Rep. Martin’s continued stay as Speaker in the next Congress is a blatant breach of the NUP’s official position of unequivocal support for the Speaker to keep his premier post in the next Congress,” ani Villafuerte.

“Given that this has been the unanimous stance of our party, Duke’s one-man decision to withdraw support from the Speaker runs counter to the NUP’s official manifestation of support for Congressman Martin—and means his status as a member of our party has become untenable,” dagdag pa ni Villafuerte.

“He should have first discussed his contrary position with our party leadership, rather than go out in public and breach our unanimous party decision,” pahayag ni Villafuerte.

Sinabi pa niya na matagal nang polisiya ng NUP ang pagkakaisa sa salita at gawa.

“It has been ‘a long-standing policy of the NUP for all of us to speak and act as one’,” ani Villafuerte. “Going to the media to publicly oppose our party position, especially without prior consultation with any of our party officers, is punishable with expulsion from the NUP.”

Halos isang buwan na ang nakalipas nang pormal na ideklara ng NUP ang buong suporta nito kay Romualdez upang ipagpatuloy ang direksyon ng Bagong Pilipinas, na layunin ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na mapabuti ang buhay ng lahat ng Pilipino.

“The NUP supports 100% the continuity of the Bagong Pilipinas agenda of President Marcos of better lives for all Filipinos in the second half of his presidency,” ani Villafuerte, “and for the House to help stay the course of this pro-poor and pro-growth vision in the Congress, it is crucial for Speaker Martin to remain at the helm of the bigger chamber to continue shepherding the passage of the priority bills of this Administration meant to spell high, inclusive and sustainable growth.”

Dagdag pa nito, “Leadership continuity is so essential at this point, given that Filipinos have started to reap the benefits of the initiatives that have been carried out in the first three years of the Marcos presidency to improve their lives.”