Romualdez’s Iron Throne: A Supermajority’s Triumph and the Philippines’ Fractured Future

By Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — May 18, 2025

IN Manila’s political crucible, House Speaker Martin Romualdez has forged an empire of 240 signatures, a supermajority that towers over the 315-member House of Representatives like a fortress carved from ambition. This isn’t just a number—it’s a death knell for dissent, a masterstroke securing Romualdez’s reign as the Philippines’ legislative kingpin. Yet, as Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial looms in July 2025, cracks spiderweb through this bastion. The Marcos-Duterte feud, a political divorce as chaotic as the Marcoses’ fabled hidden jewels, threatens to unravel not just Romualdez’s grip but the very fabric of Philippine democracy. Is he the steady hand steering a nation toward progress, or the architect of a dynastic stranglehold?

Power Grabbed, Power Held: Romualdez’s Political Chessboard

Martin Romualdez’s consolidation of power is a spectacle of strategic brilliance. As president of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), he commands a coalition of 240 lawmakers—over two-thirds of the House—spanning his party’s 104 seats, the National Unity Party, Nationalist People’s Coalition, Nacionalista Party, and Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, as confirmed by Deputy Speaker David Suarez on May 17, 2025 Tribune, 2025. “Tapos na,” Suarez declared. “It’s done.” This supermajority, set to dominate the 20th Congress opening in July, ensures Romualdez’s unchallenged leadership, aligning the House with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Bagong Pilipinas vision of reform and unity.

Contrast this with Sara Duterte’s crumbling stronghold. Once the linchpin of the 2022 Marcos-Duterte “Uniteam,” she now faces an unprecedented impeachment, approved by 235 lawmakers in February 2025, on charges of misusing public funds and threatening to assassinate Marcos, his wife, and Romualdez New York Times, 2025. Her desperate bid to push her brother, Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, for Speaker—or at least minority leader—has collapsed against Romualdez’s fortress Tribune, 2025. “Any challenge is simply unrealistic,” Suarez scoffed, a sentiment echoing through Congress’s halls.

The Marcos-Duterte feud is a proxy war for the 2028 presidential race, a saga of betrayal and ambition. The 2025 midterms, where Marcos’s Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas slate won only five of 12 Senate seats—far below expectations—exposed voter resistance to total consolidation BBC, 2025. Duterte’s allies, including top vote-getter Sen. Bong Go, secured four seats, signaling her lingering clout despite legal woes Reuters, 2025. This split outcome, with Alyansa faltering even in Romualdez’s Leyte stronghold, reveals a public wary of one dynasty’s unchecked dominance. As analyst Aries Arugay noted, “This is a protest vote against the Marcos administration. His endorsement is only co-equal to Sara Duterte’s” BBC, 2025.

The Lakas Machine: A Political Juggernaut Built to Last

Romualdez’s institutional control is a masterwork of organization. Lakas-CMD’s 2025 electoral haul—104 House seats, 15 governors, 22 vice governors, 24 city mayors, 385 municipal mayors, and 23 vice mayors—spans from Manila to Mindanao, a machine of nearly 600 local posts Business Mirror, 2025. This network, hailed by Romualdez as a “sweeping vote of confidence,” ensures legislative efficiency, pushing Marcos’s agenda with minimal resistance. The party’s 6,114 candidates, including two senatorial bets, underscore its unmatched organizational depth Business Mirror, 2025.

The Senate, however, is a wild card. With 12 new senators joining the 24-seat chamber, Duterte-aligned figures like Bong Go and Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa could sway her impeachment trial, set for July 2025 Reuters, 2025. Conviction requires 16 votes—a steep climb given the Senate’s mixed loyalties. Analysts suggest Duterte may secure the nine votes needed for acquittal, potentially preserving her political future GMA Network, 2025. This Senate-House tension could reshape the power struggle, pitting Romualdez’s ironclad House against a chamber where allegiances waver.

The Steady Hand vs. the Falling Star: Romualdez’s Ascent, Duterte’s Descent

Romualdez shines as a stabilizing force, his leadership lauded as “steady” and “principled” by allies SunStar, 2025. His alignment with Marcos’s Bagong Pilipinas—a vision of unity and inclusive growth—positions him as the administration’s cornerstone. “This is a strong signal from the Filipino people: they want steady hands, clear direction,” Romualdez declared Tribune, 2025. His ability to rally 240 lawmakers, despite Alyansa’s Senate setbacks, reflects a disciplined focus on governance.

Sara Duterte, meanwhile, stumbles. Her alleged assassination threats and fund misuse charges paint her as erratic, a leader unraveling under pressure East Asia Forum, 2025. Her push for her brother to challenge Romualdez seems more a cry for relevance than a viable strategy, especially with her 59% approval rating in March 2025 overshadowed by Romualdez’s machine Reuters, 2025. Criminal charges against Romualdez, dismissed as politically motivated, suggest a retaliatory jab by Duterte’s camp, further eroding her credibility Tribune, 2025.

Impeachment or Vendetta? Controversies That Could Redefine a Nation

Duterte’s impeachment is a political firestorm. Supporters like Rep. Robert Ace Barbers argue it’s about accountability, citing the 81.81% reelection rate of 36 out of 44 Mindanao lawmakers who backed it. “If it was a liability, we would’ve been wiped out,” Barbers said, dismissing claims of electoral fallout Tribune, 2025. Critics, including Karapatan, warn it’s a power grab, gutting democratic checks and balances in a nation scarred by dynastic feuds East Asia Forum, 2025. The truth? Likely both: a pursuit of justice tangled in a ruthless bid to crush a rival dynasty.

Geopolitically, Romualdez’s pro-US stance—backing the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and a hard line on the South China Sea—wins quiet approval from Washington, aligning with Marcos’s Western tilt. Duterte’s perceived China-friendly leanings, inherited from her father, risk alienating voters and policymakers wary of Beijing’s influence BBC, 2025. This US-China rivalry, played out in Philippine waters, elevates Romualdez’s strategic edge while exposing Duterte’s vulnerabilities.

The Horizon Ahead: Stability or Dynastic Domination?

Romualdez’s supermajority stands as an impregnable fortress, its 240 signatures a shield against dissent. Yet, the Senate’s divided loyalties, Duterte’s resilient appeal, and voter pushback against consolidation reveal fissures in its walls. As Duterte’s impeachment trial looms in July 2025, one question burns: Will Romualdez’s supermajority usher in stability—or entrench a new era of dynastic rule? The answer will not only shape Manila’s power games but also the soul of a nation caught between its turbulent past and an uncertain future.