Rep. Garcia replaced as House deputy speaker

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu Third District Representative Gwendolyn Garcia has been replaced as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives by Bohol Third District Representative Arthur Yap.

Garcia will assume as the new chairperson of the committee on economic affairs, which was previously headed by Yap.

Garcia, a member of the ruling PDP-Laban of President Rodrigo Duterte, holds the position as Deputy Speaker since 2016. Her removal from the position as Deputy Speaker was expected after sticking it out with former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

In fact, it was Garcia who immediately adjourned the session when the allies of Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo moved to declare the position of the speaker vacant last July 23. Garcia and Arroyo are also close political allies.

Yap, on the other hand, was one of the trusted cabinet secretaries of Arroyo during her presidency. He served as agriculture secretary of then president Arroyo.

Aside from Yap and Garcia, the other congressmen affected by the ongoing reorganization of the House are Cebu City South District Rep. Rodrigo Abellanosa and LPG Marketers Association Rep. Arnel Ty.

Abellanosa replaced Ty as chairman of the committee on Natural Resources. —FPL (FREEMAN)