MANILA - The House of Representatives in the 19th Congress now has nine deputy speakers.

Elected during the plenary session Wednesday were Batangas 6th District Rep. Ralph Recto, Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales, and Cebu 5th District Rep. Vincent Duke Frasco.

Recto, who held the Senate's second highest post as Senate President Pro Tempore in the 18th Congress, now holds a counterpart post in the lower chamber.

Speaker Martin Romualdez swore him into office later in the session, with his wife, former Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto, and his son in attendance. Santos-Recto herself was one of the 33 deputy speakers in the 18th Congress.

Gonzales, meanwhile, was re-elected to the deputy speaker post.

Frasco is the husband of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, and a son-in-law of Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia, who was herself a deputy speaker in the 17th Congress.

Frasco served as campaign spokesperson of Vice President Sara Duterte, while the Garcia clan endorsed Duterte and President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. in the 2022 elections.

Earlier in the week, the House elected former President and now Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as Senior Deputy Speaker, and Representatives Isidro Ungab, Roberto Puno, Kristine Singson Meehan, Camille Villar, and Raymond Democrito Mendoza as Deputy Speakers.

• Martin Romualdez elected as House Speaker

Meanwhile, the following congressmen were elected as chair of House committees:

• Agrarian Reform: Solomon Chungalao
• Agriculture and Food: Wilfrido Mark Enverga
• Aquaculture and Fisheries Resources: Alfredo Maranon III
• Cooperatives Development: Nicanor Briones
• Dangerous Drugs: Robert Ace Barbers
• Disaster Resilience: Alan Ecleo
• Games and Amusements: Antonio Ferrer
• Government Enterprises and Privatization: Edwin Olivarez
• Housing and Urban Development: Jose Francisco Kiko Benitez
• Inter Parliamentary Relations and Diplomacy: Glona Labadlabad
• Labor and Employment: Juan Fidel Felipe Nograles
• Legislative Franchises: Gustavo Tambunting
• Local Government: Rex Gatchalian
• Metro Manila Development: Rolando Valeriano
• Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development: Christian Unabia
• Overseas Workers Affairs: Ron Salo
• Peoples Participation: Florida Robes
• Public Order and Safety: Dan Fernandez
• Rural Development: Wilton Tonton Kho
• Transportation: Romeo Acop
• Creative Industries and Performing Arts: Christopher de Venecia
• East Asian Growth Area: Princess Rihan Sakaluran
• Globalization and WTO: Alfred delos Santos
• Southern Tagalog Development: Ruth Mariano Hernandez
• Ethics and Privileges: Felimon Espares
• Public Accounts: Joseph Stephen Paduano

On Tuesday, the House elected the following committee chairpersons:

• Climate Change: Edgardo Chatto
• Basic Education: Roman Romulo
• Ways and Means: Joey Salceda
• Appropriations: Zaldy Co
• Accounts : Yedda Romualdez
• Economic Affairs : Teodorico Haresco
• Higher and Technical Education: Mark Go
• Justice: Juliet Ferrer
• Muslim Affairs: Mohammad Khalid Dimaporo
• Natural Resources: Elpidio Barzaga
• Public Works and Highways: Romeo Momo

• House of Representatives names committee chairpersons under 19th Congress

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