Congress still puzzled who will represent lone district of Marinduque

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The House of Representatives faces a problem with the lone district of Marinduque—who will it recognize as its representative in the 16th Congress?

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said the lower chamber of Congress was still studying the situation as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has left it to the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) to decide who will represent Marinduque: will it be Regina Ongsiako Reyes or Lord Allan Jay Velasco?

Reyes was initially proclaimed Marinduque congresswoman but was disqualified after questions on her citizenship were raised.

She questioned this decision, citing the fact that she has already taken her oath as a member of the House of Representatives.

Velasco, the son of Supreme Court Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco, was later proclaimed as Marinduque congressman by the Comelec.

Reyes however maintained that the HRET now had jurisdiction over the case and in a recent press conference, she called on Associate Justice Jose Perez to inhibit from the case as he was Velasco’s deputy in the past.

Citing Article 7, Section 17 of the 1987 Constitution, former deputy majority leader Ilocos Norte Representative Rodolfo Fariñas said that both chambers of Congress were given each an electoral tribunal “which shall be the sole judge of all contests relating to the election, returns, and qualifications of their respective Members.”

“Thus, it should be the HRET. However, the SC in this case of Reyes said the Comelec had jurisdiction on the matter since Reyes had not effectively assumed office when she was disqualified by the Comelec before the start of our term on June 30. That is now the legal imbroglio that has been created,” he said.

House secretary general Marilyn Barua-Yap said her office has yet to hear from Velasco’s camp.

She said that newly-proclaimed congressmen went to her office to submit their certificates of proclamation in order to be included in the House membership roll.

“No one from Velasco’s camp has been to my office,” she said, adding they have yet to receive orders related to the lone district of Marinduque.

Yap said it was the HRET that decided on such cases and that her office only acted on their orders.