House now has 283 members, biggest in history

The House of Representatives now has 283 members — the chamber's biggest membership in history — after Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. administered the oath of office to three more newly-proclaimed party-list representatives. Before the Congress adjourned its session last week, Belmonte welcomed party-list Reps. Solaiman C. Pangandaman of Kasosyo Producers-Consumers Exchange Association, Inc.; Catalina C. Bagasina of Association of Laborers and Employees; and Isidro Q. Lico of Adhikaing Tinataguyod Ng Kooperatiba. The party-list system allows proportional representation in the election of House representatives from those belonging to the marginalized and underrepresented sectors, but even election officials admit that it is a flawed system as it allows the election of individuals who are not really part of the marginalized sector. Pangandaman is a brother of former Agrarian Reform Sec. Nasser Pangandaman. His nephew, Lanao del Sur Rep. Hussin Pangandaman, took his oath only last month after winning in the recently-concluded special elections in the province. Bagasina was a former mayor of Sasmuan town in Pampanga, while Lico is a lawyer by profession. The three party-list lawmakers completed the 57 seats allotted under the party-list system. Records from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) showed that AA-Kasosyo got 172,243 votes, ALE garnered 171,832 votes, and Ating Koop received 175,770 votes. Last November 15, Belmonte administered the oath of office to Pangandaman and Bulacan Rep. Maria Victoria Alvarado. Alvarado, wife of Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado who is now serving his second term, won over former Bulacan Gov. Roberto Pagdanganan. Rep. Pangandaman defeated former National Labor Relations Commissioner Salic Dumarpa who is the husband of former Rep. Faysah RPM Dumarpa. Unlike the Senate, which has a fixed number of 24 senators, the membership of the House varies depending on the number of legislative districts and seats allotted to party-list groups. - Amita O. Legaspi/KBK, GMANews.TV