LIST: House leadership changes under Speaker Gloria Arroyo

Mara Cepeda

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LIST: House leadership changes under Speaker Gloria Arroyo
(8th UPDATE) Lawmakers holding key posts at the House of Representatives are replaced now that Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is the new Speaker

MANILA, Philippines (8th UPDATE) – The House of Representatives has named new leaders and committee chairpersons after the election of Pampanga 2nd District Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as Speaker.

As of Monday, January 21, 23 committees have new chairpersons:

  • Accounts: Leyte 1st District Representative Yedda Romualdez replacing Batangas 1st District Elenita Ermita Buhain
  • Appropriations: Camarines Sur 1st District Representative Rolando Andaya Jr replacing ex-Davao City 1st District Representative Karlo Nograles
  • Banks and financial intermediaries: Leyte 2nd District Representative Herny Ong replacing Eastern Samar Representative Ben Evardone
  • Constitutional amendments: Leyte 3rd District Representative Vicente Veloso replacing Southern Leyte Representative Roger Mercado
  • Climate change: Albay 2nd District Representative Joey Salceda replacing AKO Bicol Representative Christopher Co
  • Ethics and privileges: Agri Representative Delphine Gan Lee replacing Quezon 3rd District Representative Danilo Suarez
  • Ecology: Quirino Representative Dakilo Cua replacing Nueva Ecija 1st District Representative Estrellita Suansing
  • Economic affairs: Cebu 3rd District Representative Gwendolyn Garcia replacing Bohol 3rd District Representative Arthur Yap  
  • Foreign affairs: Quezon City 4th District Representative Feliciano Belmonte Jr replacing Isabela 2nd District Representative Ana Cristina Go
  • Good government and public accountability: Camiguin Representative Xavier Jesus Romualdo replacing Surigao del Sur 2nd District Representative Johnny Pimentel
  • Government reorganization: Buhay Representative Mariano Michael Velarde replacing Romualdo
  • Inter-parliamentary relations and diplomacy: Ilocos Sur 2nd District Representative Eric Singson replacing Pangasinan 3rd District Representative Rose Marie Arenas
  • Higher and technical education: Antique Representative Paolo Javier replacing Zamboanga Sibugay 2nd District Representative Ann Hofer
  • Justice: Oriental Mindoro 1st District Representative Doy Leachon replacing Oriental Mindoro 2nd District Representative Reynaldo Umali
  • Labor and employment: Nueva Vizcaya Luisa Lloren Cuaresma replacing Cagayan 3rd District Representative Randolph Ting
  • Muslim affairs: Maguindanao 1st District Representative Bai Sandra Sema replaces Lanao del Sur 2nd District Representative Mauyag Papandayan Jr
  • Natural Resources: Cebu City 2nd District Representative Rodrigo Abellanosa replacing LPG Marketers Association Representative Arnel Ty 
  • Public accounts: Suarez
  • Public information: Evardone replacing Masbate 3rd District Representative Scott Davies Lanete
  • Public works and highways: Marikina 1st District Representative Bayani Fernando replacing Zamboanga City 1st District Representative Celso Lobregat
  • Small business and entrepreneurship development: Ang Kabuhayan Representative Dennis Laogan replacing Misamis Oriental 1st District Representative Peter Unabia
  • Tourism: Davao Oriental 1st District Representative Corazon Nuñez Malanyaon replacing Leyte 4th District Representative Lucy Torres Gomez
  • Ways and means: Suansing replacing Cua
  • Special commitee on the West Philippine Sea: Go replacing Belmonte

Three new committees were also created. The committee on disaster management will be chaired by Bataan 1st District Representative Geraldine Roman, while the committee on senior citizens will be chaired by Ilocos Norte 2nd District Representative Imelda Marcos.

A committee on oversight was also created, tasked to review the effectiveness of laws pursued through the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council. It was changed into the committee on public accounts on November 27.

Capiz 2nd District Representative Fredenil Castro replaced Andaya as Majority Leader on Monday, January 21.

Andaya, Arroyo’s budget secretary when she was president, previously replaced Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative Rodolfo Fariñas as majority leader. (WATCH: Rappler Talk: Rolando Andaya on being House majority leader under Speaker Gloria Arroyo)

Pampanga 4th District Representative Juan Pablo Bondoc was also replaced as senior deputy majority leader by 1-SAGIP Representative Rodante Marcoleta.

After two weeks of tension-filled debates at the floor, Quezon 3rd District Representative Danilo Suarez was retained as the minority leader.

His minority leadership is now being questioned before the Supreme Court by the blocs led by Fariñas and Marikina 2nd District Representative Miro Quimbo.

New deputy speakers were also named. Yap and Arenas replaced Garcia and Singson as deputy speakers, respectively. Quimbo’s deputy speakership was given to Surigao del Sur 1st District Representative Prospero Pichay Jr. 

Andaya’s slot as deputy speaker was given to Sorsogon 1st District Representative Evelina Escudero. Sulu 2nd District Representative Munir Arbison replaced Sema as deputy speaker. 

Castro was replaced by Ting as deputy speaker as well.

Lawmakers accepted the nomination of Dante Roberto Maling as acting secretary general to replace lawyer Cesar Pareja.

Arroyo’s former Presidential Security Group commander Romeo Prestoza is the new sergeant-at-arms, replacing Roland Detabali. Arroyo previously named Prestoza as chief of the elite Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in 2008.

There were changes at the House contingent to the Commission on Appointments (CA) as well.

Zamboanga del Sur 2nd District Representative Aurora Enerio replaced Isabela 1st District Representative Rodolfo Albano III, who used to be the majority leader at the CA.

Lanete also replaced Davao Oriental 2nd District Representative Joel Mayo Almario in the CA.

Davao del Norte 2nd District Representative Antonio Floirendo, rival of ousted speaker and Davao del Norte 1st District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez, is now back at the CA. Floirendo replaced Manila 6th District Representative Rosenda Ocampo.

Cebu City 1st District Representative Raul del Mar replaced Occidental Mindoro Representative Josephine Ramirez Sato at the CA as well.  Rappler.com

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Mara Cepeda

Mara Cepeda specializes in stories about politics and local governance. She covers the Office of the Vice President, the Senate, and the Philippine opposition. She is a 2021 fellow of the Asia Journalism Fellowship and the Reham al-Farra Memorial Journalism Fellowship of the UN. Got tips? Email her at mara.cepeda@rappler.com or tweet @maracepeda.