Benguet gov welcomes Yap as rep; SP still wants special polls

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Gov. Melchor Diclas led provincial officials here Monday at the Wangal Sports Center in welcoming party list congressman Eric Go Yap of ACT-CIS as caretaker of Benguet

The House of Representatives appointed party Yap as congressional caretaker of Benguet after the death of Rep. Nestor Fongwan Sr. last December.

Despite this, the Provincial Board still wants special elections to elect Fongwan Sr.’s replacement.

Basing from social and media reports, provincial constituents also wanted special elections.

Benguet Vice Gov. Johnny Waguis earlier said they had informed House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano before the announcement of Yap as caretaker congressman they wanted a special election to elect a congressman for Benguet.

The Benguet Provincial Board on Jan. 20, in resolution no. 2020-318, asked Congress to initiate the special election to fill the post of Fongwan Sr.

Aside from Waguis, provincial board members who signed the resolution were Robert M. Namoro, Ruben E. Paoad, Roberto K. Canuto , Fernando M. Balaodan Sr., Jim G. Botiwey, Florencio V. Bentres, Bernard Waclin, Juan M. Nazarro Jr., Alexander T. Fianza, Nestor T. Fongwan Jr., Sario M. Copas, Jeston S. Balong-angey and Melchor Guesey.

The board passed the resolution informing the Lower House of the vacancy a month after Fongwan died, Waguis said.

Waguis said the Provincial Board has also sought a meeting with Cayetano as soon as possible to lobby for the special election.

The resolution said the special election would allow continuity of programs, projects and activities “that redound to the utmost benefit of the province and its people.”

Fongwan’s son, Nestor Jr., who is sitting as a board member being the Councilor’s League president of Benguet, said his family supports the call for a special election.

He said they will appeal with the Lower House to reconsider and instead initiate special polls to elect a congressman from Benguet.  

“We need a leader who will represent the province in the Congress, not merely a caretaker,” Waguis earlier said.

During Fongwan's wake in December, Cayetano reportedly hinted at caretakership as the solution.

Fongwan, 68, died on Dec. 18 due to acute respiratory failure.

Yap is not a Cordilleran and staunch supporter of President Duterte. His party-list organization is associated with the Tulfo siblings, a Rappler report said.

Cordillera legal luminaries said the designation of Yap as caretaker representative – if it becomes permanent – will go against the law. 

Republic Act No. 6645, which provides for the filling of vacancies in the legislature, states when a district representative's seat becomes vacant a year or more before the term ends, a special election will be held for a new representative.

Cayetano named Yap to take over Benguet's lone congressional seat

in a caretaker capacity.

Yap is one of the three representatives of ACT-CIS Party-List, which earned more than 2.6 million votes in the 2019 elections.

Gov. Diclas earlier said he was expecting a different representative.

“Ang inaasahan natin is coming from the Cordillera ang congressman na magke-caretaker pero yun naman ang desisyon ng Congress. It is advantageous also in our province at least may caretaker na tayo,” Diclas said.

The province’s Commission on Elections has said besides appointing a caretaker congressman, the House could also opt to hold special elections, although that has not been discussed.