Tulfo: I will be a working and active Congress rep

By Maricel V. Cruz

REP. Erwin Tulfo of ACT-CIS partylist group has vowed to be an active and working member of the House of Representatives.

Tulfo, former Social Welfare Secretary on Tuesday night took his oath of office as the third nominee of ACT-CIS party-list group.

If given the chance, Tulfo said that he would want to be part of the House committee on good governance and public accountability “to perform a check and balance on government agencies.”

“Those government agencies that have long queues, and those that have foul-mannered employees, I want to check on that,” Tulfo said.

The committee currently chaired by San Jose del Monte City Rep. Rida Robes covers “all matters directly and principally relating to malfeasance, misfeasance and nonfeasance in office committed by officers and employees of the government and its political subdivisions and instrumentalities inclusive of investigations of any matter of public interest on its own initiative or upon order of the House.”

Tulfo, a former broadcast journalist, added that he wants to look into “private entities that impose exorbitant fees on Filipinos.”

Rep. Jocelyn Tulfo and Edvic Yap are the other two nominees of Tulfo’s party-list group.

Lawmaker urges support for HB on displaced Pinoys

By Maricel V. Cruz

MANILA Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. on Wednesday urged his fellow legislators to support the passage of a measure intended to protect the rights of Filipinos displaced due to armed conflicts, violence, violations of human rights, and natural calamities.

In a privilege speech, Abante, chair of the House Committee on Human Rights, appealed to his colleagues to support the passage of House Bill 8269 or “An Act Protecting the Rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Penalizing the Acts of Arbitrary Internal Displacement” as “internally displaced persons have suffered the brunt of conflicts and violence, and the wrath of man-made and natural disasters.”

The legislator pointed out that the 2023 Global Report of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Committee revealed that in 2022 there were 123,000 IDPs due to conflict and violence, and some 5.4 million Filipinos displaced due to natural disasters.

“Our country ranks second among the top five countries having the highest figures on internal displacements triggered by disasters, both weather-related hazards and geophysical hazards,” lamented Abante, who revealed that 130 solons have already signified their support for HB 8269.