NUP elects new national officers
THE National Unity Party (NUP), the second biggest power bloc in the 19th Congress, has elected its new set of national officers in its general assembly held this week, with CamSur (Camarines Sur) representative, former Deputy Speaker, and ex-governor Luis Raymund “LRay” Villafuerte as its president.
Former Antipolo Rep. Ronaldo “Ronnie” Puno, a professional campaign manager and political strategist who had served twice as Interior and Local Government Secretary and was also Presidential Adviser for political affairs, was reelected chairman of NUP during its general assembly on Monday night at the Seda Vertis North Hotel in Quezon City.
The NUP also approved proposed revisions to the party’s constitution and by-laws during the meeting.
Villafuerte is now the majority leader of the House contingent in the bicameral Commission on Appointments (CA) and was Deputy Speaker for finance from 2019 to 2020, as well as former vice chairman of the House committees on appropriations, public accounts, on local governments, and national defense and security.
The former NUP vice president for political affairs was a three-term governor of CamSur before his first election to the House of Representatives in 2016, representing the second district of this premier province in Bicol.
Villafuerte had also served at one time or another as chairman of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP), Regional Development Council (RDC) for Bicol, and the Luzon Area Development Coordinating Council (LADCC); president of the Bicol River Development Foundation Inc.; and board governor of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC).
In the same Vertis Hotel assembly, Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla was elected NUP vice chairman for internal affairs, Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop as vice chairman for external affairs, and Mandaluyong Rep. Neptali Gonzales II as vice chairman for legislative affairs.
Elected NUP vice presidents were Bataan Rep. Albert Garcia (for Luzon), Cebu Rep. Pablo John Garcia (for the Visayas), Agusan Del Sur Rep. Adolph Edward Plaza (for Mindanao), and Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas (for special projects).
Cavite Rep. Antonio Ferrer was elected treasurer; House secretary-general Reginald Velasco, secretary-general; and ex-Local Government Assistant Secretary and former House deputy secretary-general Brian Raymund Yamsuan, deputy secretary-general.
Since its accreditation by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as a national party in 2011, NUP has grown to become the second biggest political group in Congress, with 47 members at present in the House of Representatives.
It currently has over 300 local elective officials for members across the country.
NUP endorsed President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio in the last national and local elections.
