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Jose Rodel Clapano - The Philippine Star
March 21, 2026 | 12:00am
South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr.
Philstar.com / John Unson
MANILA, Philippines — The Partido Federal ng Pilipinas has strengthened its foothold in the House of Representatives after membership grew from 38 to 54 members, PFP president and South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo revealed yesterday.
Tamayo confirmed a Politiko report to The STAR that several lawmakers – most of them formerly affiliated with Lakas-CMD led by ex-speaker Martin Romualdez – have joined the party chaired by President Marcos.
The report identified the new members as Reps. Antonio Albano (Isabela), Agatha Cruz, Salvador Pleyto and Mark Violago (Bulacan), Mikaela Suansing (Nueva Ecija), Zaldy Villa (Siquijor), Patrick Michael Vargas (Quezon City), Lordan Suan (Cagayan de Oro), Miro Quimbo (Marikina), Francisco Matugas (Surigao del Norte) and Joseph Tan (Isabela).
Presidential son and Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos, along with Speaker Faustino Dy III, are also members of the PFP.
Among the new members, Albano serves as vice chairman of the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms and sits on key panels including appropriations, while Cruz is an assistant majority leader and vice chair of several committees such as basic education and culture, foreign affairs, public information and ways and means.
Pleyto heads the committee on government reorganization, while Violago serves as a committee vice chair on games and amusement.
Suansing chairs the appropriations committee, while Villa holds vice chairmanships in panels covering agriculture and food, energy, tourism and trade and industry. Vargas, a deputy majority leader, is an automatic member of all committees.
Suan chairs the committee on public information, while Quimbo heads the ways and means committee, which oversees fiscal and revenue measures.
Matugas, meanwhile, leads the committee on land use and Tan serves as a vice chair of the appropriations panel and flagship program projects, among many others.
New deputy speakers
Meanwhile, last Wednesday, Reps. Rachel Arenas (Pangasinan), Duke Frasco (Cebu) and Albee Benitez (Bacolod) were elected deputy speakers. South Cotabato Rep. Ferdinand Hernandez remains senior deputy speaker.
Other deputy speakers include Reps. Janette Garin, Yasser Alonto Balindong, Paolo Ortega V, Jefferson Khonghun, Kristine Singson-Meehan, Ronaldo Puno, Ferjenel Biron, Raymond Democrito Mendoza, Yevgeny Vincente Emano and Jayjay Suarez.
