The House of Representatives has elected Paranaque City Rep. Joy Myra Tambunting a member of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET), replacing the late Antipolo City Rep. Resurreccion Acop.
The Lower Chamber also elected on Wednesday, June 2 Probinsyano Ako Rep. Jose “Bonito” Singson Jr. as member of the powerful Committee on Appropriations. Singson, chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, will occupy the post left vacant by Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves who had been designated deputy speaker.
Singson will represent the minority bloc in the appropriations panel.
Members of the House minority bloc lauded the inclusion of Singson in the appropriations committees, saying that they are confident the Probinsyano Ako representatives is the best opposition member for the job of safeguarding the general welfare of Filipinos as the Duterte government submits its final budget during its six-year term.
Tambunting, wife of former Rep. Gus Tambunting , is the vice chairperson of the House Committee on Games and Amusement.
She becomes the sixth member of the House contingent in the HRET headed by its chairman, Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen. The two other judiciary representatives in the panel are Associate Justices Rosmari D. Carandang and Amy Lazaro-Javier.
The House contingent in the HRET is headed by Caloocan City Rep. Dale G. Malapitan. Other members are: Reps. Vincent Garcia (2nd District, Davao City); Henry Villarica (4th District, Bulacan); Lawrence Lemuel Fortun (1st District, Agusan del Norte) and Abdullah D. Dimaporo (2nd District, Lanao del Norte).
“I commit to doing my part in ensuring all the cases pending before the HRET are decided in accordance with law. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the HRET – honorable Justices of the Supreme Court and my fellow Members of the House,” Tambunting said as she accepted her nomination to the HRET post.
The legislative-judiciary panel has become the object of criticism over its alleged failure to resolve majority of the cases filed before the body. It has less than a year to decide on the pending cases.