Secretary of the Senate of the Philippines

Secretary of the Senate of the Philippines
Kalihim ng Senado ng Pilipinas
Incumbent Renato Bantug Jr. since July 25, 2022
Senate of the Philippines
Style	The Honorable
Seat	GSIS Building, Financial Center, Jose W. Diokno Boulevard, Pasay
Appointer	Elected by the Senate
Formation	October 16, 1916
First holder	Felipe Buencamino Jr.
Deputy	Deputy Secretaries of the Senate of the Philippines
Salary	₱3,341,000 per year (2023)
Website

The secretary of the Senate of the Philippines (Filipino : Kalihim ng Senado ng Pilipinas) ^[1] is an officer of the Senate of the Philippines. The secretary is an elected official among the staff of the Senate, responsible for helping the Senate president provide efficient legislative and administrative support to the offices of the senators, managing the affairs of the Senate Secretariat, inclusive of all the offices, service units, officers, and employees, acting as its central clearinghouse, and developing strategic plans and policies for the enhancement of the Senate's professionalism.

The first secretary was Felipe Buencamino Jr., serving in the upper chamber of the fourth Philippine Legislature from the Senate's establishment in 1916 until 1917.

The current secretary of the Senate is Renato Bantug Jr., serving since the 19th Congress. ^[2]

Powers and duties

According to Rule V, Section 7 of the Rules of the Senate, the duties and powers of the Secretary are: ^[3]

• For the inaugural session of the Congress, to prepare the Order of Business of the Senate which shall include:
  • A Resolution informing the President of the Philippines that the Senate has been organized and has elected its President, President Pro Tempore, Secretary and Sergeant-at-Arms;
  • A Resolution informing the House of Representatives that the Senate has been organized and has elected its President, President Pro Tempore, Secretary and Sergeant-at-Arms;
  • A Concurrent Resolution of the Senate and House of Representatives providing for a joint session to hear the State of the Nation Address of the President of the Philippines;
  • A Concurrent Resolution authorizing the appointment of a joint committee of both Houses to inform the President of the Philippines that Congress, in joint session, is ready to receive his State of the Nation Address;
• To attend the sessions of the Senate;
• To open, whenever there is neither a President nor a President Pro Tempore, the first session in which the Senators elected in the immediately preceding regular elections shall participate, and to announce that the business in order is the designation of the temporary President;
• To keep a Record and Journal of the proceedings of the Senate, and to certify them himself;
• To prepare and distribute the calendars of the Senate;
• To publish and distribute the Journal and Record of the Senate;
• To serve as custodian of all the records of the Senate;
• To certify all measures, orders and resolutions approved by the Senate and to stamp them with its official seal which shall also be under his custody;
• To appoint, whenever expressly authorized by the Senate, the necessary subordinate personnel thereof;
• To be responsible for the strict compliance by the Senate personnel with their duties, upon whom he may impose, for just cause, corrective or disciplinary measures including a recommendation to the President for their dismissal;
• To administer oath as a Notary ex officio of the Senate; and
• To perform other duties inherent in his office although not specified in these Rules.

The Secretary also serves as the official clerk of the impeachment court when the Senate convenes as such.

Secretaries of the Senate

The following persons served as Secretary of the Senate:

No.	Portrait	Name	Term start	Term end	Legislature	Refs.
1		Felipe Buencamino Jr.	October 16, 1916	1917	4th Legislature
2		Fernando María Guerrero	1917	1922		[4]
					5th Legislature
3		Faustino Aguilar	1922	1931	6th Legislature
					7th Legislature
					8th Legislature
4		Fermín Torralba	1931	November 15, 1935	9th Legislature
					10th Legislature
Senate abolished (1935–1941)
5		Felix Lazo	June 9, 1945	May 25, 1946	1st Commonwealth Congress	[4]
6		Antonio Zacarias	May 25, 1946	1949	2nd Commonwealth Congress 1st Congress	[4]
7		Toribio Perez	1949	1954	2nd Congress	[4]
8		Sofronio Quimson	1954	1958	3rd Congress	[4]
9		Fidel Henares	1958	1960	4th Congress	[4]
10		Regino Eustaquio	1960	1966		[4] [5]
					5th Congress
					6th Congress
11		Eliseo Tenza	1966	1972		[4]
					7th Congress
Senate abolished (1973–1986)
12		Eriberto Bernal	July 27, 1987	1988	8th Congress	[4] [6]
13		Edwin Acoba	1988	1991		[4] [7]
14		Anacleto Badoy	1991	1992
–		Lorenzo Leynes Jr. Acting	1991	1992		[4] [8]
(14)		Anacleto Badoy	1992	1993		[4] [9]
					9th Congress
15		Edgardo Tumangan	1993	1995		[4] [10] [11]
					10th Congress
16		Hezel Gacutan	1995	1996		[4]
17		Lorenzo Leynes Jr.	1996	1998		[4] [12]
(16)		Hezel Gacutan	1998	April 2000		[4]
					11th Congress
18		Oscar Yabes	April 2000	November 2000		[4]
19		Lutgardo Barbo	November 2000	July 23, 2001		[4] [13]
(18)		Oscar Yabes	July 23, 2001	July 24, 2007	12th Congress	[4]
					13th Congress
20		Emma Lirio-Reyes	July 24, 2007	July 22, 2013	14th Congress	[4] [14]
					15th Congress
(18)		Oscar Yabes	July 22, 2013	July 25, 2016	16th Congress	[4] [15]
(19)		Lutgardo Barbo	July 25, 2016	May 29, 2018	17th Congress	[4]
21		Myra Marie Villarica	May 29, 2018	July 25, 2022
					18th Congress	[4] [16]
22		Renato Bantug Jr.	July 25, 2022	present	19th Congress	[4] [17]
					20th Congress

References

1. "Direktoryo ng mga Ahensiya at Opisyal ng Pamahalaan ng Pilipinas" (PDF) (in Filipino). Department of Budget and Management. 2018. Retrieved 2025-09-21.
2. "Veteran moves: Abogado Renato Bantug elected Senate Secretary". POLITIKO. 2022-08-01. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
3. "Rules of the Senate" (PDF). Senate of the Philippines. pp. 10–12.
4. "List of Previous Senators - Senate of the Philippines". web.senate.gov.ph. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
5. "Senate Resolution No. 040, s. 1960 | Senate of the Philippines Legislative Reference Bureau". ldr.senate.gov.ph. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
6. "Senate Resolution No. 034, s. 1988 | Senate of the Philippines Legislative Reference Bureau". ldr.senate.gov.ph. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
7. "Senate Resolution No. 035, s. 1988 | Senate of the Philippines Legislative Reference Bureau". ldr.senate.gov.ph. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
8. "Senate Resolution No. 145, s. 1991 | Senate of the Philippines Legislative Reference Bureau". issuances-library.senate.gov.ph. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
9. "Senate Resolution No. 148, s. 1992 | Senate of the Philippines Legislative Reference Bureau". issuances-library.senate.gov.ph. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
10. "Senate Resolution No. 021, s. 1993 | Senate of the Philippines Legislative Reference Bureau". ldr.senate.gov.ph. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
11. "Senate Resolution No. 9, s. 1995, 10th Congress of the Republic | Senate of the Philippines Legislative Reference Bureau". ldr.senate.gov.ph. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
12. "Senate Resolution No. 124 | Senate of the Philippines Legislative Reference Bureau". issuances-library.senate.gov.ph. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
13. "From Senate secretary, Lutgardo Barbo now wants to be senator". RAPPLER. 2021-10-01. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
14. "Photo Release - New Senate Secretary". web.senate.gov.ph. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
15. "Oscar Yabes is Senate Secretary". web.senate.gov.ph. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
16. "Sotto swears in new Senate Secretary". web.senate.gov.ph. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
17. "Senate Secretary par excellence". web.senate.gov.ph. Retrieved 2025-05-29.

See also

• Secretary General of the House of Representatives of the Philippines

External links

• Secretary of the Senate, officers of the Philippine Senate