Las Piñas Rep. Mark Villar has submitted his resignation from his district to accept his post as Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary.
House Majority Floor Leader Ilocos Norte Rep. Rudy Fariñas sent a text message to the media, saying that Diwa party-list Rep. Emmeline Aglipay-Villar is set to take on the position of “caretaker” representative of Las Piñas, as designated by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, GMA News Online reported.
Earlier, former Senate President Manny Villar and Mark’s father said that a caretaker representative is bound to handle Las Piñas City and candidates may come from either Parañaque or Muntinlupa. He said that an election to replace his son’s post would be “too expensive” a few months after the May 2016 elections.
Fariñas said Mark has formally resigned, based on the information he gets from Alvarez.
“According to the Speaker, Rep. Mark Villar has resigned,” he said.
President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Mark as DPWH Secretary despite his family’s involvement in the real estate business led by his father. Mark was even urged by Senator Sergio Osmeña to turn down the offer to avoid conflict of interest. His mother, Senator Cynthia Villar, defended her son, saying that they are in the housing business, not building roads.
Mark belongs to the Nacionalista Party, led by his father and chaired by his mother. The party has aligned itself with Duterte’s PDP-LABAN party.
GMA News Online noted that under Republic Act No. 6645, “An Act Prescribing the Manner of Filling a Vacancy in the Congress of the Philippines,” the House can ask the Comelec to hold a special election for a new rep with the condition that the congressional seat is vacated at least a year before the next elections.
However, there was no provision regarding a vacancy occurring before the said period.
GMA News Online cited one similar case, when then-Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. was appointed as caretaker rep of Bohol’s second district after the late Erico Aumentado’s passing on Christmas Day in 2012.
Sources: (gmanetwork.com, newsinfor.inquirer.net, gov.ph, interaksyon.com, en.wikipedia.org)
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