Manila, July 28 -- The House of Representatives elected Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez as Speaker of the 20th Congress on Monday.

Romualdez garnered 269 votes, with 34 abstentions.

He was nominated by Quezon 2nd District Rep. David "Jay-Jay" Suarez, who said it was Romualdez who steered the House of Representatives under the 19th Congress with both resolve and wisdom.

"Under his stewardship, the House of Representatives became a true House of the People - responsive to the needs of the nation, attuned to the voice of the common Filipino, and anchored in the values of unity, service, and progress," he said.

"He brought not just experience, but character - marked by quiet strength, strategic foresight, and unwavering...