Sandro Marcos joining Lakas-CMD will boost members’ morale — Luistro
House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 2nd District Representative Sandro Marcos arrives for the 5th State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on July 27, 2026. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/FileMANILA — House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos’ move to join Lakas-CMD will boost members’ morale after party president former House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s arrest and detention on a plunder case, party member Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro said.
Luistro and House Deputy Speaker Janette Garin, who is also from Lakas-CMD, confirmed on Thursday that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s son has switched parties.
“The only thing that I know is because of what happened to Speaker Martin, who is the president of Lakas-CMD, of course we needed somebody to take care of Lakas-CMD,” Luistro said.
She said she is thankful that Rep. Marcos has joined the party.
“Cong. Sandro Marcos is the majority leader of the 20th Congress. And in addition, of course… he is the presidential son. So it gives us a sense of confidence that he has joined us,” Luistro said.
She added Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the former president, is Lakas-CMD chair emeritus.
“And, definitely, she takes care of us. The more the people who have the ability to take care of us, that will be best for the members of Lakas-CMD,” she added.
Garin said the party welcomes “young blood” and that “any new member who can contribute to the shared advocacy of Partido Lakas is very much welcome.”
The two Lakas-CMD members denied speculations that Marcos’s move aims to keep Rep. Arroyo’s influence over the party in check.
They also denied that Marcos joining Lakas-CMD has any relation to rumors that House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III of Isabela is being eyed to replace Vice President Sara Duterte in case she is convicted at her impeachment trial.
Garin dismissed such talk as rumors, adding she does not think Dy is even interested.
Luistro, who is lead prosecutor in Duterte’s impeachment case, said she sees no connection between Rep. Marcos joining the party and the impeachment case at the Senate.
She added any talk of picking a new vice president is “like putting the cart before the horse” since trial has yet to wrap up.