Former Mandaluyong City lone district Rep. Alexandria "Queenie" Gonzales (left), Mandaluyong City lone district Rep. Neptali “Boyet” Gonzales II (Contributed photo)

Is there a bigger endorsement between a husband and wife than for one to admit that the the other is better at the job? 

Perhaps none, and that's exactly the kind of endorsement that Mandaluyong City lone district Rep. Neptali “Boyet” Gonzales II gave to his wife, Alexandria "Queenie" Gonzales, on Tuesday, Oct. 8. 

Queenie, a former city congresswoman, is seeking to succeed Rep. Gonzales in the May 2025 mid-term elections. The latter accompanied Queenie during her filing of her certificate of candidacy (COC) Tuesday. 

Asked by House of Representatives reporters if he had any special instructions for her, Rep. Gonzales said there no need for any. 

"Personally bilib din naman [ako], not because she's my wife, dahil once upon a time naman naging congresswoman na siya," the former House deputy speaker and majority leader said of Queenie. 

(Personally I'm also impressed with her, not because she's my wife, but once upon a time she was also a congresswoman.) 

"Palagi kong sinasabi sa Mandaluyong eh I'm very proud of her. Yung three years niya na naging congresswoman ng Mandaluyong, ay effectively na-surpass niya lahat yung napagawa ko yung unang anim na taon, even the nine years that I was the congressman of the lone district of Mandaluyong," Rep. Gonzales said. 

(I always tell the people in Mandaluyong that I'm very proud of her. In her three years as Mandaluyong congresswoman, she effectively surpassed all that I did in my first six years, even the nine years that I was the congressman of the lone district of Mandaluyong.) 

Queenie previously served as the congresswoman of Mandaluyong City from 2016 to 2019. Despite being a neophyte legislator at that time, she quickly rose to prominence in the lower chamber. 

"And in her very shot stint as congresswoman of the lone district of Mandaluyong, naging from assistant majority leader, na-promote siya into a deputy majority leader (from an assistant majority leader, she was promoted to deputy majority leader)," he recalled. 

This gave her a key role in the powerful Committee on Rules during her short but productive House stint. 

"In fact she was able to take advantage of a lot of programs ng ating government," Rep. Gonzales said. 

He went on to add, "Kailangan natin yung mga new concepts (What we need are new concepts)," and candidly admitted that he and his wife "belonged to different generations". 

"The legislative body will benefit from her knowledge," Rep. Gonzales further said.


'Honored with the opportunity' 

For her part, Queenie, a former Channel 5 reporter, stated "I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to serve the people of Mandaluyong once again. There is still so much work to be done, and I am dedicated to continuing the initiatives that have a direct impact on the lives of our constituents." 

The ex-congresswoman authored and co-authored key legislation that led to the enactment of the Mental Health Law and the Universal Health Care Law, significantly improving access to essential health services nationwide. 

Additionally, she supported the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, commonly known as the Free Tuition Law or UNIFAST, advocating for accessible higher education for all Filipinos. 

"Education and health are fundamental rights that should be accessible to everyone. I have always believed that by empowering our citizens through quality education and healthcare, we lay the foundation for a stronger community," Queenie said. 

In infrastructure development, she made significant strides by establishing the very first 11-storey “green” city jail in Mandaluyong and in the entire National Capital Region. This modern facility not only improved living conditions for inmates but also incorporated sustainable environmental practices.