MANILA, Philippines — ACT-CIS Rep. Erwin Tulfo took his oath of office before House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Monday, allowing him to take office as the party’s third representative formally.
During the plenary session earlier, Tulfo was accompanied by other ACT-CIS lawmakers, Reps. Jocelyn Tulfo and Edvic Yap.
Tulfo took an oath months after former Rep. Jeffrey Soriano, the original third nominee, resigned from his post. Soriano’s reason for resigning has not been disclosed, but in a letter sent to Majority Leader and Zamboanga City 2nd District Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe, he asked that lawmakers respect his decision.
ACT-CIS, which received the most votes in the party-list race in the 2022 national elections, secured three seats in Congress.
READ: ACT-CIS, Ako Bicol, 1-Rider still dominate party-list contest
Before getting a House seat, Tulfo was appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as the Department of Social Welfare and Development secretary. His designation, however, was deferred by the Commission on Appointments last November 2022, prompting Marcos to replace Tulfo with former Valenzuela lawmaker Rex Gatchalian.
READ: CA panel defers confirmation of Erwin Tulfo’s appointment as DSWD chief