Velasco named Energy panel head as House continues filling up committees

MANILA, Philippines — Former House of Representatives speaker and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco was named the chairperson of the committee on energy on Wednesday, as the chamber continued filling up committee vacancies.

During the plenary session, Senior Deputy Majority Floor Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos moved that Velasco and the following lawmakers be named chairpersons of their respective committees:

• Committee on Energy – Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco
• Committee on Foreign Affairs – Pangasinan 3rd District Rep. Ma. Rachel Arenas
• Committee on Health – Batanes Rep. Ciriaco Gato Jr.
• Committee on Information and Communications Technology – Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco
• House contingent on Commission on Appointments – Pangasinan 5th District Rep. Ramon Guico Jr.

There were other lawmakers also who were elected as vice chairpersons of their committees:

• Committee on Agrarian Reform
  1. Negros Occidental 5th District Rep. Emilio Bernardo Yulo

• Committee on Agriculture and Food
  1. Camarines Sur 5th District Rep. Miguel Luis Villafuerte
  2. Guimaras Rep. Ma. Lucille Nava

• Committee on Appropriations
  1. Cavite 5th District Rep. Roy Loyola (in place of Rizal 1st District Rep. Michael John Duavit)

• Committee on Aquaculture and Fisheries Resources
  1. Bulacan 1st District Rep. Danny Domingo

• Committee on Energy
  1. Sagip party-list Rep. Caroline Tanchay

• Committee on Flagship Programs and Projects
  1. Davao de Oro 1st District Rep. Maria Carmen Zamora (senior vice chairperson)

• Committee on Foreign Affairs
  1. Occidental Mindoro Rep. Leody Tariella

• Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability
  1. ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Jeffrey Soriano

• Committee on Information and Communications Technology
  1. Surigao 2nd District Rep. Johnny Pimentel
  2. Camiguin Rep. Jurdin Jesus Romualdo
  3. Negros Occidental 5th District Rep. Emilio Bernardo Yulo

• Special Committee on Land Use
  1. Occidental Mindoro Rep. Leody Tariella

• Special Committee on Nuclear Energy
  1. Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo

With no one objecting to the election of committee chairpersons and vice chairpersons, Marcos’ motion was approved.

The latest election of House officials leaves a few committees without heads, like the panels on human rights, indigenous cultural committees and indigenous people, and population and family relations.

READ: Majority elects officials, members of House committees

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