Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines (Filipino: Ispiker ng Kapulungan ng mga Kinatawan ng Pilipinas), more popularly known as House Speaker, is the title of the presiding officer and the highest-ranking official of the lower house of Congress, the House of Representatives, as well as the fourth-highest official of the government of the Philippines.[2]
A speaker may be removed from office in a coup, or can be replaced by death or resignation. In some cases, a speaker may be compelled to resign at the middle of a Congress' session after he has lost support of the majority of congressmen; in that case, an election for a new speaker is held. Despite being a partisan official, the speaker (or whoever is presiding) does not vote unless in breaking ties in accordance with the Rules of the House of Representatives.[3]
When the office of speaker is vacant (usually at the beginning of a new Congress), the secretary-general of the House sits as the speaker until a person is elected. A speaker is usually elected via majority vote via roll call of the representatives, after nomination at the start of each new Congress.[5] Usually, despite the current multi-party system used, only two representatives are nominated, with nominations being agreed upon before each Congress during caucuses between the administration and opposition coalitions, with the chosen candidate of the majority coalition being almost certain to win by a large margin. The two competing candidates by tradition vote for each other; those who voted for the speaker-elect is assigned as the "majority" coalition while those who didn't are the minority coalition, with the losing candidate usually being named as minority leader.
In the 2013 election for the speakership, there were three candidates.[6]Feliciano Belmonte Jr. was elected speaker over Ronaldo Zamora and Martin Romualdez. In this case, the candidates did not vote for each other, and the second-placed candidate, Zamora, became the minority leader and headed the minority bloc. Romualdez, who placed third, became the leader of the "independent minority" bloc.[7] Only the majority and minority blocs were given seats in committees. There was a possibility that neither candidate would secure a majority of votes; it is undetermined what procedure would be followed in such an event.
History
20th century
Sergio Osmeña was the first and longest-serving speaker.
Former President and Pampanga representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (fourth from right) is sworn into office by Ang Kabuhayan Partylist representative Dennis Laogan (third from left) as the first female speaker of the House on July 23, 2018.
Feliciano Belmonte Jr., now a member of the ruling Liberal Party, was reelected as House speaker in 2010 and 2013.[6][17]
At the beginning of the 17th Congress, Pantaleon Alvarez, an ally and PDP–Laban partymate of president Rodrigo Duterte, was elected by the majority of House members.[18] He served until shortly before Duterte’s third State of the Nation Address, when the House informally convened to install former president and Pampanga representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as speaker.[19] Arroyo became the first and only woman to serve as speaker, and the lone female to preside over either house of Congress. Alvarez disputed her appointment, as his allies adjourned the session to block the declaration of the leadership as vacant. The address was delayed for about half an hour while the president met with both representatives separately, resulting in an agreement that Alvarez would sit at the rostrum during the address, with Arroyo’s election formalized afterwards through a resolution.[20] This marked the only instance in Philippine history where the speaker-elect who had taken the oath before the president’s address did not sit beside the president.
Alan Peter Cayetano was elected at the opening of the 18th Congress.[21] Another leadership dispute arose in October 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, when 186 members convened at the Celebrity Sports Plaza to elect Marinduque representative Lord Allan Velasco, ousting Cayetano.[22] Cayetano questioned the legality of the session, arguing that no proper resolution had been adopted at the plenary to authorize a session outside the Batasan, that the official House mace was in the custody of then Sergeant-at-Arms Ramon Apolinario, and that an unofficial blue mace was used during Velasco’s election.[23][24] A special session was subsequently held at the Batasan to ratify Velasco’s election by the same representatives who attended the previous day’s session,[25] after which Cayetano formally resigned.[26]
According to Section 15 of Rule 4 of the House Rules, the speaker of the House has the following duties and powers:
Prepare the legislative agenda for each session, ensure efficient deliberation and swift approval of measures, and coordinate with Deputy Speakers and committee leaders.
Conduct regular caucuses to discuss priority measures and facilitate dialogue among members.
Supervise all committees, hold regular meetings with committee leaders, and ensure legislative targets align with the House's agenda.
Establish an information management system to facilitate legislative work and public information.
Monitor and evaluate the performance of the House, its members, and committees.
Coordinate with the Senate to track and facilitate action on House measures.
Preside over House sessions, make rulings on order, and designate temporary presiding officers when necessary.
Maintain order and decorum within the House premises.
Sign official House documents, including acts, resolutions, and subpoenas.
Perform administrative duties, such as appointing personnel, imposing disciplinary measures, and managing budgetary and merit-based policies.
Develop rules for public access to members' personal data and assets in consultation with the Committee on Rules.
Implement a drug testing system for House members and staff.
Require performance reports from committees and House officers.
Furthermore, according to Section 16 of the Rule 4 of the Rules of the House, the speaker must "be the permanent head of delegation and representative of the House in all international parliamentary gatherings and organizations: Provided, that the speaker may designate any member to be the representative of the speaker. The speaker shall also determine, upon the recommendation of the majority leader, in consultation with the chairperson of the Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Relations and Diplomacy, who shall constitute the House delegation to any international conference or forum of parliamentarians and legislators and the secretariat support staff to be mobilized for the purpose.
↑ By convention, the Speaker is an incumbent member of the House of Representatives. As such, they are limited to three consecutive terms of three years each (Article VI, Section 7 of the Constitution of the Philippines).
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