House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Monday, Nov. 6, vowed to fight anyone who is threatening and maligning the House of Representatives just to get their desire.

In a speech during the resumption of the 19th Congress' 2nd regular session, Romualdez stood up and said that the lawmakers must not allow people who would malign and dictate the House's direction.

He assured his colleagues in the House of Representatives that he will stand up in favor of the public’s interests and against anyone who threatens the institution just to get what he or she wants.

“Never must we countenance or allow others, not so likely-minded individuals, who choose to malign or put down the image of this institution and dictate the direction we must go. I urge everyone to rally behind our true moral compass—the will of the Filipino people,” Romualdez said.

"Tatayo ako laban sa sino man na mananakot sa atin para masunod lamang ang gusto nila. Titindig ako ako tayong lahat para sa kapakanan ng bayan," the House Speaker added.

Even though the House was composed of representatives from different principles and political parties, Romualdez believed it would always be united against anyone who threatened its members.

“As you are well aware, despite all the hard work we have done to accomplish the goals we have set, certain sectors or individuals with misplaced priorities choose to malign and tarnish the positive image of this very institution, which we labored hard to achieve,” he said.

“My fellow legislators, it is true that we, the members of this 300-plus-strong chamber, compose a cluster of high-minded individuals possessing a diversity of passionate views and different political perspectives. However, we remain steadfast as we set our differences aside and become fiercely united whenever the institution we courageously devote our efforts to, or any individual member of this chamber for that matter, is being threatened by opportunistic motives that aim to distract us from fulfilling our mandate,” Romualdez continued.

The House Speaker, however, did not mention who he was referring to, but it could be recalled that during the session break, former president Rodrigo Duterte launched tirades against the chamber and ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro.

In an interview with Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), Duterte accused the House, commanded by Romualdez, of being the most rotten institution and that its members had bellies full of pork barrels—lump sum amounts that lawmakers may allocate to projects after the General Appropriations Act was passed.