Zambales 1st district Rep. Jefferson "Jay" Khonghun (Rep. Khonghun’s office)

One of the heavy hitters of the "Young Guns" bloc in the House of Representatives has formally sought his reelection. 

Filing his certificate of candidacy (COC) at the Comelec Office in Iba, Zambales on Saturday, Oct. 5 was Zambales 1st district Rep. Jay Khonghun. 

Ķhonghun's district covers the people of Olongapo City and those from the municipalities of Subic, Castillejos, and San Marcelino. 

An assistant majority leader in the House of Representatives, Khonghun has made his made this 19th Congress by being among the talking heads of the Young Guns. 

He had made fearless comments about former president Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte on issues of transparency and accountability, at a time when this wasn't the norm. 

“Itutuloy po natin ang pagseserbisyo sa mamamayan ng Zambales. Ito naman ang ating trabaho bilang kinatawan sa Kongreso, ang paglingkuran ang mga mahal nating kalalawigan upang mabigyan ng maayos na representasyon sa Kamara at maipag patuloy ang mga proyekto sa imprastruktura, social services, scholarship at serbisyong medikal,” Khonghun declared. 

(We will continue our service to the people of Zambales. This is my job as representative in Congress, to service my beloved province-mates and give them proper representation, and to continue the projects concerning infrastructure, social services, scholarship, and medical services.) 

Khonghun has under his belt a long and illustrious career in public service. He started as a board member of Zambales from 2001 to 2010, then became mayor of Subic from 2010 to 2019 and provincial Vice Governor from 2019 2022. 

As a congressman, he is known for his active participation in crafting legislation that focuses on youth empowerment and anti-corruption measures as a member of the Young Guns, playing an essential role in ensuring that new ideas and dynamic reforms are incorporated into national legislation. 

Khonghun is also staunch advocate for transparent and accountable governance, taking part in key investigations that seek to combat corruption and abuse in public office.