List of Philippines representatives expelled, removed, or suspended

The following is a list of members of the Philippine House of Representatives who were expelled, censured, removed,[a] and suspended.

Expelled representatives

edit

The House of Representatives can remove an erring member through a two-thirds majority vote through section 143 of its house rules. Arnolfo Teves Jr. is the sole representative to have been removed through this manner.[1]

Date Representative Party District Expulsion vote[b] Notes
1908 Dominador Gómez Nacionalista Manila's 1st district 40–35[2] This was during the Philippine Assembly era; only a majority of members were needed to expel a member.
August 16, 2023 Arnolfo Teves Jr. NPC Negros Oriental's 3rd district 265–0–3[3] Abandonment of his role as representative through persistent absence and seeking political asylum in East Timor; designation as terrorist by the government; posting of a video of himself dancing in a tank top and boxer shorts in social media.[1] Teves was implicated in the Pamplona massacre, the assassination of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo.

Censured representatives

edit

The House of Representatives can censure or reprimand an erring member through a majority vote through section 143 of its house rules. Pantaleon Alvarez is the sole representative to have been censured through this manner.[4]

Date Representative Party District Expulsion vote[c] Notes
May 22, 2024 Pantaleon Alvarez Reporma Davao del Norte’s 1st district 186–5-7 For alleged seditious remarks in calling on the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to withdraw their support for President Bongbong Marcos.

Removed representatives

edit

The following representatives were removed or is said to have been "removed from the roll of members".

Year Representative Party District Reason Notes
1925 Miguel Cornejo Mountain Province at-large Criminal conviction Removed following his conviction for assaulting an American.[5]
2002 Romeo Jalosjos Sr. Lakas–NUCD Zamboanga del Norte 1st district Criminal conviction Jalosjos' conviction for raping a 11-year-old girl in 1996 was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2002 with finality paving the way for his removal from the lower house.[6]
2012 Ruben Ecleo Jr. Lakas–CMD Dinagat Islands Lone district Criminal conviction Ecleo's conviction for graft and corruption was ruled in finality.[7][8]
2023 Bem Noel An Waray N/A (Party-list) Partylist disqualification The Commission on Elections disqualified the An Waray for allegedly violating the party-list law, consequentially unseating first nominee Bem Noel from the lower house.[9][10]

Suspended representatives

edit
Year Representative Party District Reason
1960 Sergio Osmena Jr. Nacionalista Cebu 2nd district For accusing President Carlos P. Garcia of bribery and failure to provide sufficient proof for the allegation.[11] On July 17, Osmeña was suspended for 15 months by a vote of 72 to 8.[12]
1989 Nicanor de Guzman Jr. Lakas ng Bansa Nueva Ecija 4th district For smuggling 314 firearms into Ninoy Aquino International Airport.[11] Later voluntarily resigned in 1990 after his conviction.[13]
2023 Arnolfo Teves Jr. NPC Negros Oriental 3rd district Suspended thrice[14][15][16] Teves was implicated in the Pamplona massacre, the assassination of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo although officially this is not the reason for his suspension.[14] He has been outside the country since the event causing him to unable to fulfill his duties and has sought political asylum in East Timor.

Notes

edit
  1. ^ Excluding those who were removed through a voluntary act (ie. resignation)
  2. ^ For, negative, and abstention votes
  3. ^ For, negative, and abstention votes

References

edit
  1. ^ a b De Leon, Dwight (16 August 2023). "In historic first, House expels congressman Arnie Teves". Rappler. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  2. ^ Ingles (2008), p. 37
  3. ^ Chi, Cristina (16 August 2023). "House expels Teves over failure to return to country, terrorist tag". The Philippines Star. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  4. ^ Lalu, Gabriel Pabico (22 May 2024). "House censures ex-Speaker Alvarez over 'seditious' remarks". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  5. ^ "ROSTER of Philippine Legislators (from 1907 to 2019)" (PDF). House of Representatives of the Philippines. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  6. ^ "The Conviction of Romeo Jalosjos". GMA News. 6 December 2007. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  7. ^ "House to kick out Ecleo". ABS-CBN News. 10 February 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  8. ^ Medina, Andrei (1 June 2012). "Dinagat Rep. Ruben Ecleo Jr. removed from Congress". GMA News. Please delete the name of Rep. Ruben Ecleo from the Roll of Members of the House of Representatives effective May 31, 2012.
  9. ^ Leon, Dwight de (27 September 2023). "House unseats An Waray lawmaker Bem Noel after losing election case". Rappler. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  10. ^ Porcalla, Delon (28 September 2023). "An Waray party-list unseated". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Gun-smuggling charge costs lawmaker censure". UPI. 12 September 1989. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  12. ^ Bernas, Joaquin. "The Suspension of Congressman Osmeña". Philippine Studies. 9 (1). Ateneo de Manila University: 145. ISSN 2244-1638. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023.
  13. ^ De Leon, Dwight (17 August 2023). "Before Teves, the only time House came close to expelling a lawmaker was in 1990". Rappler. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  14. ^ a b Porcalla, Delon (24 March 2023). "'Teves' suspension nothing to do with Degamo slay'". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  15. ^ De Leon, Dwight (31 May 2023). "Arnie Teves avoids House expulsion, gets fresh 60-day suspension". Rappler. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  16. ^ Crisostomo, Shiela (1 June 2023). "Teves suspended anew for 60 days". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 21 October 2023.