Former House official is now Bicol Saro Party-list representative
FORMER House of Representatives Deputy Secretary General Brian Raymund Yamsuan was sworn into office today as the new representative of the Bicol Saro Party-list in Congress.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin 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 instruction 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.
