MANILA, Philippines — The rookie lawmaker-son of President Marcos has been elected senior deputy majority leader in the House of Representatives.
Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos of Ilocos Norte’s first district will be working under the guidance of House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe of Zamboanga City, who is in charge of trafficking the flow of measures in the plenary. Among the young Marcos’ colleagues are his fellow neophyte congressmen Franz Pumaren of Quezon City and Jude Acidre of Tingog Party-List, and veteran lawmakers Jaye Lacson-Noel of Malabon and Marlyn Primicias-Agabas of Pangasinan, among others.
Meanwhile, a returning veteran lawmaker from Eastern Samar who now represents a party-list group was elected new House Minority Leader.
Northern Samar Rep. Paul Daza manifested before yesterday’s session that his townmate Marcelino Libanan was “unanimously” elected as head of the official opposition bloc in the chamber by 24 of their colleagues.
“We’d like to congratulate you and the minority bloc,” Speaker Martin Romualdez, who presided over the proceedings, told Libanan of 4Ps party-list.
Libanan used to head the House’s committee on justice, the Commission on Appointments and the immigration bureau.
Romualdez, the 24th Speaker of the House, is a great grandson of the late Daniel Zialcita Romualdez, who also served as speaker of the chamber from 1957 to 1962.
Libanan thanked his colleagues both in the majority and minority for the “orderly proceedings.”
“Rest assured that we will perform our task as responsible members of this august chamber,” he said in his acceptance speech.
Libanan was head of the immigration bureau during the administration of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He served as district congressman from 1998-2001, 2001-2004 and until 2007.
Other House leaders elected in the plenary during Monday’s session were Arroyo, who will have the title of “Senior Deputy Speaker” along with her five junior fellow deputies – Reps. Isidro Ungab, Robbie Puno, Camille Villar, Kristine Meehan and Raymond Democrito Mendoza.
Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe of Zamboanga City is now the House Majority Leader.
Reginald Velasco, a Lakas-CMD stalwart, is the House secretary-general, while retired police major general Napoleon Taas is the House sergeant-at-arms.
