House of Representatives Majority Leader Martin Romualdez was designated caretaker of the lone district of Southern Leyte.
The appointment of Romualdez, representative of Leyte’s first district, came as Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado was picked as the new chief Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) chief, replacing Mark Villar who resigned from his post to pursue a Senate run.
Romualdez is a lawyer from University of the Philippines and president of Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa) – the oldest and most respectable association of legal luminaries in the country.
In the 18th Congress, Romualdez is the principal author of the following laws: the Malasakit Centers Act, the Modernization of the Bureau of Fire and Protection Act, An Act Extending the Period of Availment of the Estate Tax Amnesty, the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan 1), the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2), and the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, among others.
Romualdez also authored Republic Act No. 10754, which exempts more than 1.5 million persons with disabilities (PWDs) from the payment of 12-percent value added tax (VAT) on certain goods and services during the 16th Congress.
Romualdez is running unopposed for congressman of Leyte’s first district in next year’s elections.