Romualdez
proclaimed
poll winner
TACLOBAN City - The
Commieeion on Elections
(Comelec) on Wednes-
day proclaimed Philip-
pine Constitution Asso-
ciation (Philconed Pres-
ident Martin Romualdez
the winning congress-
man in the fi$t congres-
sional dietrict of Leyte.
Atty. Juan Bautista
Beato, chairman of the
Comelec provincialboard
of canvassers, declared
Romualdez wiruEr after
obtaining 152382 votes.
Romualdez, President
of Lakastbristian Mus-
lim Democrats (CMD),
won over his rival, Lino
Dumaswhojustgamered
9,621 votes.
"I am honored by the
overwhelming oupport
extended to me. Once
.again, thank you very
much," said Romualdez,
alawverandformerHouse
Indefendent Bloc Leader
of the 16th Congress, who
vowed to coir-tinue his
"malasakit" (compas-
sionate) advocacies in the
incoming 18e Congress.
Romualdez, a three-
lerm Leyte congressman,
is the husband of Leyte
First District Rep. Yedda
Marie M. Kiftilstvedt-Ro-
mualdez, first nominee of
Tingog party-list group,
which is expected to get
Davao City MayorSara
Duterte, drailpelson of the
Hugpong Ng Pagbabago
(HNP), erdolsed Romual-
dez tobe the Speaker ofthe
18th Congress.
Romualdez eamed his
Bachelor of Arts degree
f romComellUniversity in
Ithaca, New York and
stu d i ed law at the Univer-
sity of the Philippines (tlP)
in Diliman, Quezon City.
He holds a CertifiqE
for Special Studies in Ad-
ministationandManage-
ment hom Harvard Uni-
versity in Cambridge,
Mass, USA.
Duringhis stint as con-
gressman of his district in
Leyte, he supported tlle
massive investments in
infrastructure . that
sprured progress and de-
velopment.
He championed small
businesses and industries
inhjs distdct andtheplight
ROMUALDEZ
of disadvantaged and
vuilerable s€ctors of soci-
ety, persons with disabili-
ties (P14IDs), senio! citi-
zens, the sickly and the
poot.
' One of his b€hcfunark
achievements during the
16th Congress was the
passage ofHouse Bill0{B)
No. 1039, a law exempt-
ing persons with disabili-
ties (PWDs) hom paying
valte-added tax on cer-
tain goods and services.
This was signed into
Iaw on March 23, 2016 a]ld
now linown as Republic
is
Act (RA) No. 107& or a]l
act on expanding the ben-
efi ts and privileges ofpeo-
ple with d isabi.lities.
Ryan Ponco Pacpaco
Fqgez