Three of the so-called Davao bloc – First District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, Second District Representative Omar Vincent Duterte, and Puwersa ng Pilipinong Pandagat Partylist Representarive Harold Duterte – were present during the roll call at the opening session of the 20th Congress on Monday, but opted to walk out before the voting for House Speaker.
Leyte First District Representative Martin Romualdez, the uncumbent House Speaker, retained the House speakership after running unopposed and securing 269 votes.
“I did not vote for Speaker and I did not join the so-called Minority because I refuse to take part in a political circus that has long forgotten who it is supposed to serve — the Filipino people. I walked out after the roll call with my fellow Davao legislators because I represent the people of Davao City, not the political puppeteers nor the self-serving actors parading as public servants in Congress,” Rep. Pulong said in a statement.
Rep. Pulong vowed not to lend his “name nor his vote to any side that treats leadership as a prize, not a responsibility.”
“I am not a Dabawenyo for nothing. I have principles. I know where I stand. What we are seeing is not governance — it is a game of thrones being played at the expense of the people. The public deserves better than political charades that reek of ambition, betrayal, and manufactured allegiances,” he said.
Rep. Pulong emphasized that he did not run for Congress to “play along” but to represent the interests of his constituents “with honor, conviction, and the courage to walk away from what is wrong”.
“The House of Representatives today looks less like a chamber of the people, and more like a hollow theater where the script is written by the powerful, and the rest are left hanging. If standing up for dignity and refusing to join this farce is seen as defiance, then so be it,” he said.
Another member of the Davao bloc, Third District Representative Isidro Ungab, a senior lawmaker now on his third consecutive term,
attended the election, but abstained during the voting.
Ungab echoed the call for independence in his statement issued shortly after the voting session.
“Members of the House who choose not to affiliate with either the majority or minority can rightfully be considered independent members,” he explained.
Ungab cited legislative precedents in both the Philippines and international bodies, including the U.S. Congress and British Parliament, where lawmakers have chosen to remain independent to uphold impartiality and principle.
“This decision reflects my commitment to serve my district and the nation without being tied to partisan interests,” Ungab added.
