Rep. Co removed from House appropriations post; replacement pending

Rep. Elizaldy Co, House of Representatives committee on appropriations | PHOTO: Official Facebook page of Rep. Elizaldy Co
MANILA, Philippines — The position of the House of Representatives committee on appropriations chairperson, previously held by Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co, has been declared vacant.
During the resumption of Congress’ session on Monday, Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Sandro Marcos moved to declare the position vacant.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez approved the motion.
As of this posting, no reason has been given for Co’s removal from his post, and no replacement has been named as the motion was made right before Romualdez’s speech on the resumption of the session.
Co was a key ally of the House leadership, participating in several programs initiated by the Speaker and other key members of the legislative body. On December 12, Co joined Romualdez and his wife, Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez, at a Christmas party for children at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC).
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Article continues after this advertisementCo is also seen as one of the architects of the Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program, a one-time aid for middle-class workers, which has been the subject of criticisms from observers, as it is allegedly vulnerable to politicking.
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