Manila, Sept. 18 -- Several lawmakers of the House of Representatives on Thursday welcomed the election of Isabela 6th District Rep. Faustino "Bojie" Dy III as the new Speaker and thanked former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez for his strong leadership and dedicated service.

Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr., who chairs the House Human Rights panel, thanked Romualdez for his years of service and for ensuring a smooth transition of leadership.

"Under Speaker Romualdez, we were able to unearth painful truths about evils in our country like extrajudicial killings, POGOs (Philippine offshore gaming operations), and illegal drugs. Those hearings allowed us to hear the voices of victims of vice and greed, and were the ...