IGINIIT ng National Unity Party (NUP) na nananatili ang suporta nito, kasama ang iba pang miyembro ng supermajority, para sa pananatili ni Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez bilang pinuno ng Mababang Kapulungan sa ika-20 Kongreso.

Kasabay nito ay binatikos ni Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte, presidente ng NUP, si Deputy Speaker at Cebu Rep. Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco na maaaring isinusulong lamang umano ang pansarili nitong interes sa tila pagtatangkang sirain ang pagkakaisa ng koalisyong sumusuporta sa layunin ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. na maghatid ng mas maginhawang buhay para sa lahat ng Pilipino.

“The members of the supermajority coalition, with Duke’s exception, are four-square behind Speaker Martin (Romualdez) to remain at the helm of the House of Representatives in the next Congress to help stay the course of President Marcos’ agenda of better lives for all Filipinos,” ani Villafuerte.

“So we actually do not know what discord he is talking about,” dagdag ni Villafuerte, ang paalis na kongresista at halal na gobernador ng Camarines Sur, tungkol kay Frasco na sinibak ng NUP noong nakaraang linggo dahil sa kanyang pag-atras ng suporta kay Romualdez, na ginawa umano nang walang konsultasyon at labag sa nagkakaisang posisyon ng partido.

“Duke (Frasco) claims he had withdrawn his support for Speaker Martin supposedly because the quest for national unity on the Marcos presidency has been ‘undermined by political and personal interests’,” ayon pa kay Villafuerte.

“This certainly is highfalutin language because if there is anyone guilty of sowing disunity and discord and advancing political and personal interests, it is Duke himself,” giit pa ng mambabatas.

“Duke was expelled last week for sowing disunity and discord himself in making his unilateral move to withdraw support from Congressman Martin in blatant contravention of the NUP’s unanimous support for the Speaker to keep his post in the next Congress—and without first consulting our party,” sabi ni Villafuerte.

Sinabi rin ni Villafuerte na iginiit ni Frasco na dumaan siya sa konsultasyon kasama ang mga kapuwa mambabatas, mga pinuno at mga nasasakupan sa Cebu bago niya ginawa ang pasya.

“If indeed there were such consultations, as a true-blue NUP member, he should have first taken this matter up with the party leadership instead of going directly to the media without prior party discussions,” sabi ni Villafuerte.

“Duke’s action was anathema to the NUP’s long-standing position for our members to act as one and speak with one voice—which made his membership in our party untenable at this point,” dagdag niya.

Binigyang-diin ni Villafuerte na: “It has been a long-standing policy of the NUP for all of us to speak and act as one. 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.

“May karapatan ang sinuman na tumanggi. Pero may pananagutan din kaming itama ang maling impresyon—na ang tahimik na mayorya ay hindi nagkakaisa. Sa katunayan, mas matibay ang pagkakaisa ngayon kaysa dati,” ani Villafuerte.

“At this critical time in our national life, the Filipino people deserve less noise and more action. The House, under the leadership of Speaker Martin, will continue to do its work—with clarity, competence, and conviction,” pahayag pa niya.