Uy takes oath as Zamboanga del Norte first district representative

MANILA, Philippines — Cong. Roberto Uy Jr. yesterday took his oath as new member of the House of Representatives, replacing Romeo Jalosjos Jr. who was ousted as representative of the first district of Zamboanga del Norte.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez administered the oath to Uy, who was finally included in the House roster following a ruling of the Supreme Court, which declared him the rightful winner in the May 2022 general elections.

“I am honored by this proclamation and the trust that the people of the first district of Zamboanga del Norte have placed in me. I am committed to working tirelessly to bring back the old glory of our beloved province,” Uy said after the Commission on Elections proclaimed him last week.

“Together, we will address the challenges our community faces and work toward a brighter future for all,” he added.

Uy won with 69,591 votes or a margin of only 482 votes over Jalosjos, who got 69,109 votes.

The legal dispute stemmed from a decision of the Provincial Board of Canvassers declaring Jalosjos winner after it counted in his favor the votes of another candidate, Frederico Jalosjos, who was initially declared a nuisance candidate.