MANILA — Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez was reelected unopposed as Speaker of the House of Representatives on Monday, securing a second straight term with the backing of the chamber’s supermajority coalition and cementing his leadership role under the Marcos administration.

Romualdez received 269 votes from lawmakers at the opening of the 20th Congress. His reelection was widely supported by major political parties and the powerful party-list bloc, reflecting continued confidence in his leadership as the chamber’s top official and legislative strategist.

“Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez is not only a public servant of experience and stature — he is a leader of empathy, integrity and conviction. A unifier. A reformer. A partner of the President and a champion of the people,” Quezon 2nd District Rep. David “Jay-jay” Suarez said in nominating Romualdez for another term.

Romualdez’s nomination was seconded by key House leaders, including presidential son and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, who represented the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), the President’s party. Lawmakers from the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), National Unity Party (NUP), Nacionalista Party (NP), and the Party-list Coalition also voiced support.

Romualdez took his oath before Bulacan Rep. Salvador Pleyto Sr., with his wife, Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Romualdez, and other family members in attendance.

Shortly after Romualdez’s reelection, the younger Marcos was unanimously elected as House Majority Leader. He will be responsible for steering legislative priorities and managing floor deliberations in support of the Bagong Pilipinas governance agenda of his father, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Romualdez declared Marcos’ election to the post upon the motion of acting floor leader Iloilo Rep. Lorenz Defensor.

The consolidation of leadership under Romualdez and Marcos follows the Speaker’s track record in the 19th Congress, where the House passed 61 of 64 priority bills identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).

“This is a clear show of unity and confidence,” Suarez said. “He gave us direction — and he gave the public something more important than power: trust.”

Romualdez’s approval rating rose to 34% in the latest SWS survey, while trust in the House also climbed, reaching 57% in June.

Suarez emphasized Romualdez’s style of governance, calling it “decisive and compassionate,” and praised him for fostering cooperation among lawmakers “regardless of affiliation or region.”