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Marcos still 'a very big name in politics, always a plus,' relative Martin Romualdez says

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/news/05/22/20151012-sen-romualdez-martiin-jc-1.jpg"/><figcaption>Martin Romualdez files his certificate of candidacy for senator at COMELEC on October 12, 2015. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA - House Majority leader Martin Romualdez on Monday said he had always considered his relationship with the Marcoses &quot;a plus&quot; as the 2022 national elections nears.</p><p>The representative of Leyte&#x27;s 1st district is the <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/halalan2016/nation/v1/02/15/16/romualdez-my-father-was-not-a-marcos-crony">nephew</a> of former First Lady Imelda Marcos. He earlier said he would consider President Rodrigo Duterte’s endorsement for the vice presidency in next year&#x27;s polls.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/17/21/romualdez-to-consider-vice-presidential-candidacy-in-2022-elections">Romualdez to consider vice presidential candidacy in 2022 elections</a></li></ul><p>&quot;I’m a Romualdez first and obviously I&#x27;m related (to the Marcoses) and I’m proud of the relationship,&quot; he told ANC&#x27;s Headstart when asked how he would come into his own in the 2022 elections.</p><p>&quot;The relationship has always been a good relationship in terms of not just familial, but personal relationships, even politically. The Marcoses are still a very big name in politics, and having them with you is always a plus.&quot;</p><p>Romualdez said he was &quot;keeping his options open&quot; for a 2022 run after the President&#x27;s remark, and after the lawmaker&#x27;s political party formed an alliance with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio&#x27;s regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/28/21/martin-romualdez-vp-2022-elections-sara-duterte-options-open">Martin Romualdez to run as Sara Duterte&#x27;s VP? &#x27;We&#x27;ll keep options open&#x27;, he says</a></li></ul><p>&quot;I don’t want to preempt all of our friends who are thinking of filing. It might be presumptuous of me to even suggest my name at this point,&quot; he said.</p><p>The lawmaker, meantime, said his cousin former Senator Bongbong Marcos met with former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last month not to seek endorsement.</p><p>Romualdez is the president of Lakas-CMD while Arroyo serves as the party&#x27;s president emeritus.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/06/18/21/arroyo-nakipagpulong-sa-marcos-siblings-romualdez">Arroyo nakipagpulong sa Marcos siblings, Romualdez</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/17/21/bongbong-marcos-definitely-running-for-office-in-2022-lawyer">Bongbong Marcos &#x27;definitely running&#x27; for office in 2022 - lawyer</a></li></ul><p>&quot;He was not there to seek an endorsement, it was nothing like that. It was almost like a meeting of old friends,&quot; Romualdez said of his cousin who lost the vice presidential race in 2016.</p><p>&quot;It was just probably an exchange of ideas vis-a-vis personalities in the Senate whom Senator Imee (Marcos) works with and the experience of former President at the Senate, and I guess how to be better legislators.&quot;</p><p>Duterte-Carpio, who is being asked by some sectors to run for President next year, had met with the Marcoses, as well as with former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro in Davao a few weeks ago. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/31/21/imee-marcos-confirms-bongbong-sara-duterte-meeting-in-davao-denies-discussing-2022-polls">Imee Marcos confirms Bongbong, Sara Duterte meeting in Davao, denies discussing 2022 polls</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/03/21/gibo-sara-duterte-2022">Gibo Teodoro meets with Sara Duterte, gets inoculated in Davao City</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1715522" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>House Majority leader Martin Romualdez on Monday said he had always considered his relationship with the Marcoses "a plus" as the 2022 national elections nears.<br /> </p>

House Majority leader Martin Romualdez on Monday said he had always considered his relationship with the Marcoses "a plus" as the 2022 national elections nears.