Eastern Samar Rep. Maria Fe R. Abunda (right) and Calamba City Rep. Charisse Anne C. Hernandez-Alcantara (2nd from right) take their oath as new Lakas-CMD members before Speaker Martin G. Romualdez (2nd from left) at the Social Hall of the Speaker鈥檚 Office Monday afternoon. Looking on are senior Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (center), former President and House Majority Leader Manuel Jose 鈥淢annix鈥� M. Dalipe (left).
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Two more lawmakers have joined the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), bringing the party鈥檚 total membership in the House of Representatives to 66.
Speaker Martin G. Romualdez, Lakas-CMD party president, administered Monday afternoon the oath to Eastern Samar Rep. Maria Fe R. Abunda and Calamba City Rep. Charisse Anne C. Hernandez-Alcantara during a simple ceremony at the Social Hall of the Speaker鈥檚 Office in the House of Representatives.
The oath-taking was witnessed by senior Deputy Speaker and former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President Emeritus of Lakas-CMD.
Romualdez also administered the oath to Taft Mayor Gina Ty and former Guiuan Mayor Christopher Sheen P. Gonzales, both from Eastern Samar province, as Lakas-CMD members.
鈥淲e are happy that two more colleagues of ours in the House have chosen to join us in Lakas-CMD,鈥� Romualdez said.
鈥淲e look forward to having a fruitful and pleasant bonding and interaction with them and the rest of our members.鈥�
With 66 congressmen and congresswomen affiliated with it, Lakas-CMD is now the largest political group in the House of Representatives this 19th Congress.
The affiliation of Representatives Abunda and Hernandez-Alcantara followed last month鈥檚 membership in the party of Representatives Isidro Ungab and Vincent Garcia of the third and second districts of Davao City, respectively; Alan Dujali of Davao del Norte鈥檚 second district, and Josefina Tallado of Camarines Norte鈥檚 first district.
Lakas-CMD, an administration party, campaigned hard for President Ferdinand 鈥淏ongbong鈥� Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, the party鈥檚 chairperson.
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