Marikina City 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo will be the House Committee on Appropriations’ acting chairman, following AKO Bicol Party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co’s departure from the position.
On Monday afternoon, Presidential son and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Sandro Marcos moved to declare the Committee’s chairperson seat vacant. This motion was carried by House Speaker Martin Romualdez, with no objections from the lawmakers.
Despite this, the House Committee will continue with its work. In the meantime, the Committee’s Senior Vice Chairperson, Quimbo will be taking over as acting Chairman.
However, the lawmaker assured that she will be continuing the Committee’s function, and will not change anything despite Co’s exit.
Following the motion to vacate the Committee’s chairperson seat, Co released a statement, explaining that his departure as head was due to health concerns. According to Co, the demanding nature of his job has taken a toll on his well-being and will be prioritizing his health from now on.
Even with his stepping down, Co expressed his gratitude for being entrusted with the “immense responsibility” of handling the nation’s budget. Since 2023, Co has taken pride in his contributions to securing funding for health, housing, and food security.
