Manila, Philippines - Roberto Uy Jr. was officially sworn in as the representative of the First District of Zamboanga del Norte on Monday. The oath of office was administered by Speaker Martin Romualdez during a plenary session of the House of Representatives. This follows the Commission on Elections (Comelec) proclamation of Uy as the victor of the 2022 congressional race in Zamboanga del Norte's 1st District, in compliance with a Supreme Court (SC) decision.
According to Philippines News Agency, Uy was declared the rightful winner of the May 2022 elections, overturning a previous decision by the Provincial Board of Canvassers (PBOC) that had declared Romeo Jalosjos Jr. as the winner. This controversy arose after votes for Frederico Jalosjos, deemed a nuisance candidate, were initially credited to R. Jalosjos. On election day, Uy received 69,591 votes, while R. Jalosjos garnered 69,109 votes. The SC later ruled that the Comelec had committed grave abuse of discretion by suspending Uy's proclamation based solely on allegations and the incorrect classification of F. Jalosjos as a nuisance candidate.
During the session, Isabela Representative Antonio Albano and Lanao del Sur Representative Yasser Alonto Balindong also took their oaths as new House deputy speakers, replacing former deputy speakers Davao City Representative Isidro Ungab and Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The change in House leadership followed the adoption of House Resolution 1414, which affirmed the integrity of the House and expressed support for Speaker Romualdez's leadership. Arroyo and Ungab were removed from their deputy speaker position for failing to sign the resolution, as explained by Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe.
Balindong pledged to uphold the honor and integrity of the House and emphasized collective efforts to improve the lives of Filipinos, expressing support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Speaker Romualdez. Albano, echoing former President Gloria Arroyo's statement, committed to fully serving the House and working towards national progress through meaningful legislation, calling for unity and a focus on legislative duties without fostering discord.