ACT-CIS partylist group nominee Jeffrey Soriano has resigned from his post, prompting the House of Representatives to remove him from its rolls of members.
Former Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Erwin Tulfo, the fourth nominee of ACT-CIS, is rumored to replace Soriano.
During Wednesday’s plenary session, House Majority Leader and Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe revealed that Soriano submitted a letter dated February 6 to Speaker Martin G. Romualdez to informing the House leadership of his resignation from his House seat.
“Mr. Speaker I move that we accept the resignation of Jeffrey Soriano and for the Secretary-General to be instructed to drop from the roll of members of the House of Representatives representative Soriano effective immediately,” Dalipe said.
Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales, who presided over the session carried the motion after hearing no objection.
Aside from Soriano, other nominees ACT-CIS are Reps. Edvic Yap and Jocelyn Tulfo, the spouse of Senator Raffy Tulfo.
Former House of Representatives Deputy Secretary General Brian Raymund S. Yamsuan meanwhile was sworn into office as the new representative of the Bicol Saro Party-list.
Speaker Martin G. Romualdez administered the oath of office to Yamsuan during this afternoon’s plenary session, completing the process of the latter’s assumption as a member of the House in the 19th Congress.
Yamsuan will serve the unexpired term of Nicolas Enciso VIII, who was expelled from Bicol Saro last February 6, and removed as representative of the party-list in the House.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec), convening as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), officially proclaimed Yamsuan on Feb. 17 as the new number one nominee of Bicol Saro.
Yamsuan’s proclamation entitles him “to sit as representative to the House of Representatives of the Congress of the Philippines, and to serve for a term of three (3) years, ending June 30, 2025, in accordance with Section 7, Article VI of the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines,” the NBOC said.
In Comelec Minute Resolution 23-0112, the poll body recognized Yamsuan as the new number one nominee of Bicol Saro. It also gave due course to the instatement of Lara Maria Villafuerte, Jocelyn Faustino Fortuno, Arron James Pagaduan and Mac Arthur Cuison Samson Jr. as the other nominees of the partylist.
The Comelec, in deciding to approve Yamsuan’s proclamation, cited Section 16 of Republic Act 7941 and its own rules, which state: “In case of vacancy in the seats reserved for party-list representatives, the vacancy shall be automatically filled by the next representative from the list of nominees in the order submitted to the COMELEC by the same party, organization, or coalition, who shall serve for the unexpired term. If the list is exhausted, the party, organization coalition concerned shall submit additional nominees.”
The Comelec also cited the letter sent by House Secretary General Reginald Velasco on Feb. 15, which stated Enciso’s expulsion and the vacancy in the House seat for Bicol Saro.
Yamsuan previously served as Deputy Secretary General of the House under then Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano in the 18th Congress.
Yamsuan is also the Secretary General of the National Unity Party (NUP), one of the country’s major political organizations.
He had served under three presidents and two senators in various capacities.
In 1996, Yamsuan started his career in the Office of the late Senator Edgardo Angara as the legislator’s media and political affairs officer. Yamsuan further honed his skills as the chief of staff and head of the Media Relations and Accreditation Division in the Office of the Press Secretary under the late Rod Reyes and the late Ricardo ‘Dong’ Puno during the administration of President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, and later as chief of staff in the office of the late Sen. Tessie Aquino Oreta.
Yamsuan oversaw the day-today media operations of the FPJ Media Bureau as its deputy media director in 2004.
He was appointed in 2006 under the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs in the Department of the Interior and Local Government, which was then headed by the veteran political strategist, Secretary Ronaldo Puno.
Yamsuan also served as consultant in the Office of the Executive Secretary during the administration of the late President Benigno Aquino III.