“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”
Quoting Proverbs 29:2, Manila 6th District Representative Benny Abante Jr. hailed the reelection of Speaker Martin Romualdez, calling his reelection “a victory for justice, for accountability, and for human rights”.
Abante, who chaired the House Committee on Human Rights and helped lead the House inquiry into extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the 19th Congress, said the efforts of the Quad Committee—composed of the Committees on Human Rights, Public Order and Safety, Dangerous Drugs, and Public Accounts—could not have moved forward without the leadership of Romualdez.
According to the veteran legislator, “the stewardship of Speaker Romualdez was a key component of the success of the Quad Comm. He respected the independence of the committees and allowed the truth to surface, no matter how inconvenient it may have been to some very powerful personalities.”
“He supported us and gave us the space to do what was right—that is why I supported him then, and that is why I continue to support him now.”
“He supported us and gave us the space to do what was right—that is why I supported him then, and that is why I continue to support him now,” the seasoned lawmaker added.
He referred to the reelection of Romualdez as “a triumph of the Rule of Law over the rule of men. A triumph of human rights over impunity. And a triumph of truth over fear.”

“With him as our Speaker, I am confident we can obtain justice for the families of those unjustly slain in the Duterte Administration’s bloody and brutal War on Drugs,” he stressed.
“The victims of injustice have reason to hope.”
Abante, who shared that he expects the House to continue the inquiry into the EJKs, said that “today, the victims of injustice have reason to hope, because the House will continue to be led by someone who understands the gravity of our responsibility and the justness of our cause.”
“With Speaker Romualdez at the helm, we can keep pushing for reforms that will prevent this tragedy from happening again,” he added.
Following the reelection of Romualdez and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address, Abante also welcomed the administration’s commitment to hold accountable those behind the disappearance of sabungeros, saying it was “a strong signal that the culture of impunity is finally being dismantled in our country.”
He added that “for far too long, families have been waiting—waiting for justice, for answers, for closure. President Marcos’ statement is a welcome development, and I urge our law enforcement agencies to pursue this case with the same urgency and determination that the President has shown.”
“As the President reminded us, no one is above the law and whoever is responsible must be held to account. A crime like this should not be swept under the rug. The victims and their families deserve no less,” Abante concluded.

