The House of Representatives on Tuesday elected the President’s son and neophyte Ilocos Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos as senior deputy majority leader of the 19th Congress.
During the plenary session, House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe moved to nominate and elect Marcos to the post.
At the same time, 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan was elected as the House minority leader.
Northern Samar Rep. Paul Daza reported to the plenary that Libanan was unanimously elected to the post by 25 lawmakers during the group’s first organizational meeting on Monday afternoon before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s first State of the Nation Address.
In his acceptance speech, Libanan vowed that the group will perform its tasks “as a responsible minority.”
“I would like to thank all my dear colleagues in the minority and all of the congressmen and congresswomen of this august chamber for this opportunity. Rest assured, we will perform our task as a responsible minority of this august chamber,” he said.
Libanan was a former chair of the House justice committee, and a former majority leader of the Commission on Appointments. He also served as a commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration during the Arroyo administration.
Meanwhile, Speaker Martin Romualdez was named caretaker of the seventh district of Cavite after its representative, Jesus Crispin Remulla, joined the Cabinet as Justice Secretary.
Aside from Marcos, Dalipe also named Quezon City Rep. Franz Pumaren, Batangas Rep. Lianda Bolilia, Malabon City Rep. Josephine Lacson-Noel, Pangasinan Rep. Marlyn Primicias-Agabas, and Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre as deputy majority leaders.
The lower chamber also elected Leyte Rep. Anna Victoria Veloso-Tuazon, Misamis Occidental Rep. Ando Oaminal, Tarlac Rep. Jaime Cojuangco, Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez, and Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon as assistant majority leaders.
Meanwhile, Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera will be the Deputy Minority Leader.
“Being part of the minority should always be anchored on the public good, and not on the urge to obstruct or to be proven right,” Herrera said.
Herrera said the House minority bloc is looking forward to working with Romualdez to ensure the passage of legislation intended to hasten the country’s economic recovery.