United Senior Citizens party-list rep takes oath after winning fight for accreditation

The Batasang Pambansa facade (Photo from the Facebook account of the House of Representatives)

MANILA, Philippines — The United Senior Citizens party-list representative has finally taken her oath to be part of the 19th Congress, after the Commission on Elections (Comelec), recognized the organization’s victory in the May 9 polls.

Rep. Milagros Aquino-Magsaysay took her oath of office on Monday, during the resumption of the session at the House of Representatives, following a motion made by Majority Floor Leader and Zamboanga City 2nd District Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe to allow her induction.

Speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez administered the oath during the open session, as it was witnessed by Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was also at the rostrum.

“Mr. Speaker, we are in receipt of a certificate of a proclamation issued by the Commission on Elections, proclaiming United Senior Citizens party-list as winner in the party-list elections on May 9, 2022, and to entitle its nominee, Ms. Milagros Aquino-Magsaysay, to sit as its representative to the House of Representatives of the Congress of the Philippines,” Dalipe said.

“Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the aforementioned certificate of proclamation, I move that we allow Ms. Milagros Aquino-Magsayasay, representative of the United Senior Citizens party-list, to take her oath in open session,” he added.

Magsaysay’s proclamation was delayed after her party-list was not included among those proclaimed by the Comelec last May 26 since the group’s motion for reconsideration of their denied bid for accreditation was still pending at the time.

Despite their accreditation being initially denied, the United Senior Citizens party-list got enough votes to get the 63rd seat in the House.

READ: 2 party-list groups absent during proclamation

Prior to representing the United Senior Citizens party-list, Magsaysay was part of the Senior Citizens party-list, which currently has one seat – being held by Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes – in the 19th Congress, .

READ: Senior citizens take seats in House

KGA