Congressmen Elect Belmonte House Speaker

Quezon City Rep. Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr. will again lead the House of Representatives after receiving support from the new batch of lawmakers on Monday, July 22.

During the opening of the 16th Congress, majority of the 289-man House picked Belmonte to be House speaker over two other nominees in an election held at about 10 a.m. on July 22.

Belmonte, who served as House speaker in the previous Congress, won a landslide victory with 245 votes against San Juan City Rep. Ronaldo Zamora who got 18 votes and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez who got 16 votes.

House Secretary-General Marilyn Barua-Yap declared a quorum after 267 lawmakers attended the morning session in the Lower House for the election of the speaker.

Belmonte was nominated by Western Samar Rep. Mel Sarmiento, Tarlac Rep. Enrique Cojuangco, and Camarines Sur Rep. Ronaldo Andaya, who described him as a “turn-around specialist.”

“We need determined and wise leadership… We need a speaker who is dynamic enough to lead the Congress in a confusing time,” Andaya said.

Makati Rep. Abigail Binay, the daughter of Vice President Jejomar Binay, described Belmonte as “the best leader” who can guide congressmen in the House of Representatives.

Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Farinas praised Belmonte for leading Lower Congress in passing the General Appropriations Act for three consecutive years.

But Neophyte Taguig Rep. Lino Cayetano nominated Zamora as House speaker while Cavite Rep. Lani Mercado nominated Romualdez.

Neophyte Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon accepted Zamora’s nomination on behalf of the progressive bloc in the House of Representatives.

“If Zamora is our speaker, we believe that Congress will win historic victories again,” Ridon said.

Only Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco abstained from voting.

According to House rules, the nominee who will lose in the speakership will automatically assume the role of the leader of the minority bloc in the House of Representatives.

Since there had been three nominees for speakership race, acting House majority leader Neptali “Boyet” Gonzales II clarified the nominee with the second highest votes automatically becomes the House minority leader.

Zamora managed to snatch the leadership of the House minority bloc in a hairline victory against Romualdez, the nephew of former First Lady and Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda R. Marcos.

Romualdez, who is on his third and final term as congressman, is also the president of Lakas, the political party still associated with former president and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Zamora first served as representative of San Juan City in 2001, serving as House minority leader before stepping down in 2010.

Former San Juan City Rep. Joseph “JV” Ejecito-Estrada replaced him from 2010 to 2013 before winning the senatorial elections last May.

Belmonte earlier expressed surprise when he received endorsement from President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, who he said did not hint about his plan for election in the Lower House.

Belmonte began his government service as the presidential staff assistant of President Diosdado Macapagal, after which he served in various agencies in the government which are the Bureau of Customs, Bangko Sentral Ng Filipinas and the Government Service Insurance System.

He was first elected as representative of Quezon City’s fourth district, serving his full three consecutive terms from 1992. He served as House speaker before he stepped down in 2001.

Belmonte gained national prominence when he became the leader of the prosecutor team in the impeachment trial against former President President Joseph “Erap” Estrada.

In 2001, Belmonte was elected as mayor of Quezon City and made it as the most competitive city in the National Capital Region (NCR) it is today.

He returned to Congress in 2010, serving as House speaker for the second time. /MP