3 more lawmakers join Lakas-CMD

THREE members of the House of Representatives have joined Lakas Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) before the 19th Congress convenes during the first State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos on July 25.

With the addition of Albay Second District Rep. Jose Clemente "Joey" Salceda, Bohol Second District Rep. Maria Vanessa Aumentado and Isabela Third District Rep. Ian Paul Dy, Lakas-CMD now has 60 members, making it one of the largest political parties in the House.

In a ceremony in Manila on Thursday, Salceda, Aumentado, and Dy took their oaths before Lakas-CMD President and Leyte First District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

"We welcome our new members. We are delighted by their decision to join us. We look forward to a productive engagement with them and the rest of our membership," Romualdez said.

Lakas-CMD is headed by Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio.

"I thanked PDP Laban for their support in the past 6 years. I rejoined my party from 2001 to 2010, having been a presidential economic adviser and chief of staff to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo," Rep. Salceda said in his media statement.

The president of the regional political party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) and Davao Occidental Representative Claude Bautista and Pangasinan Third Rep. Maria Rachel Arenas, took the oath of membership at the Lakas-CMD headquarters on Tuesday.

Source: TheManila Times