Noy swears in 4 more new senators

MANILA, Philippines - Four more newly elected senators and 78 congressmen belonging to the administration coalition took their oath before President Aquino yesterday.

The President administered the oath of Sens. Alan Peter Cayetano, Antonio Trillanes IV, Cynthia Villar of the Nacionalista Party and Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV of the Liberal Party.

The President earlier administered the oath of senators Grace Poe-Llamanzares, Loren Legarda, Francis Escudero, Aquilino Pimentel III and Juan Edgardo Angara, who ran under Team PNoy.

Among the members of the House of Representatives who were sworn in by the President were Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., incoming Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, Quezon City Reps. Jorge John Banal, Jose Christopher Belmonte and Alfred Vargas; Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez; Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo; Pangasinan Reps. Baby Arenas and Gina de Venecia, Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo and Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. 

Romulo’s wife Valenzuela Councilor Shalani Soledad, Aquino’s former girlfriend, did not attend the oath taking.

Reps. Francis Gerald Abaya of Cavite, brother of Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya; Vicente Alcala of Quezon, brother of Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala; and Abraham Tolentino also of Cavite, brother of Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino, also took their oath before the President.

The President also administered the oath of Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman Jr., formerly of the opposition. – With Marvin Sy