a day ago
House waiting for 5 seats to be filled —SecGen
There are still five seats in the House to be filled after the disqualification of the Duterte Youth Partylist, and the suspension of the proclamation of two congressional winners, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said. Tina Panganiban Perez/GMA Integrated News
The House of Representatives is awaiting the final ruling of the Commission on Elections on cases filed against several potential members of the House in the 20th Congress.
House Secretary General Reginald Velasco told reporters on Thursday that there are still five seats in the House to be filled after divisions of the Comelec ruled to cancel the Duterte Youth Partylist, which received enough votes for three seats, and suspended the proclamation of winners in Marikina and Benguet.
'Yun na lang hinihintay namin, yung tatlong nominees ng Duterte Youth [That's what we're waiting for the three nominees of Duterte Youth]. And then pending pa rin [still are] two congressional districts. One is in Marikina… And Comelec is resolving this. So, no congressman has been proclaimed yet in the district. The same in the case of Benguet. We're still waiting for Comelec to proclaim the winner. So bale lima pa yung pending [So there are five seats pending],' Velasco said.
A Comelec division also ruled to cancel the certificate of candidacy of Luis Chua Uy, who had been proclaimed as the duly elected representative of Manila 6th district.
Uy ran against incumbent Representative Bienvenido Abante who filed a petition questioning Uy's citizenship. The Comelec 2nd division ruled Abante is the district's duly elected representative.
'We're waiting for the resolution of Comelec. Kailangan kasi en banc yon [Because it has to be an en banc decision]. The en banc should proclaim the actual winner. And then once we get this proclamation, we can accept Congressman Abante as the duly elected member of Congress in that district,' Velasco said.
Velasco also disclosed that the House had already issued Uy a certification that he is a member of the House and a welcome kit.
'Because the only requirements we have, dalawa lang eh [are two]: proclamation from Comelec and oath of office,' Velasco said. He added that both had been done in Uy's case.
Velasco also said that the House in the 20th Congress will be composed of 317 members, 96 of whom are neophytes or first termers.
The first termers are scheduled to attend an executive course where they will learn, among others, the legislative process and the Rules of the House of Representatives. They have been divided into two batches, with the first batch scheduled to attend on June 23 to 25 while the second batch is scheduled on July 7 to 9. — BM, GMA Integrated News
For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.
