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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Last quad-comm chairman standing: Abante reacts to House return

Last quad-comm chairman standing: Abante reacts to House return

Published Jun 19, 2025 11:43 am

At A Glance

  • One co-chairman of the vaunted House quad-committee (quad-comm)--Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante--will return in the upcoming 20th Congress.
Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante (PPAB)
Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante (PPAB)


One co-chairman of the vaunted House quad-committee (quad-comm)--Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido Benny Abante--will return in the upcoming 20th Congress.
This, after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) annulled the proclamation of Luis “Joey” Chua Uy as the winner of the district seat race in last month's elections. Abante had lost via thin margin to Uy.
“This is a victory not just for me and the voters of Manila’s sixth district—but for the Constitution, and the rule of law,” Abante said in a statement Thursday, June 19 after he was declared the rightful winner.
“The Constitution is clear—only natural-born Filipino citizens are qualified to serve in Congress. The Comelec ruling reaffirms this fundamental requirement and protects the integrity of our democratic institutions,” he said.
He also stressed the broader implications of the decision: “This case sets an important precedent. It reminds us that those seeking public office must be held to the highest standards of eligibility and truthfulness. Our people deserve leaders whose allegiance to the country is beyond question, and whose qualifications are beyond doubt.”
Abante’s petition cited evidence showing that Uy, born in 1962 to Chinese citizen parents, only acquired Philippine citizenship after his father was naturalized in 1967. Uy was later issued an Identification Certificate by the Bureau of Immigration—not by virtue of birthright, but as a derivative of his father’s naturalization.
In the 19th Congress, Abante chaired the House Committee on Human Rights--one of the four committees that comprised the quad-comm.
Since August 2024, the quad-comm has been looking into the alleged interconnected issues of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), extrajudicial killings (EJKs), money-laundering, illegal drugs, and former president Rodrigo Duterte's bloody war on drugs. 
The highest profile witness or resource person who attended the series of marathon hearings held by the joint panel was ex-president Duterte himself.
The quad-comm is expected to be reconvened in the 20th Congress.
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