Mark Villar’s wife appointed ‘caretaker’ rep of Las Piñas

The wife of Public Works Secretary Mark Villar is set to take on a new role as the “caretaker” representative of Las Piñas City following her husband's resignation from the House of Representatives.

In a text message, House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas said Diwa party-list Rep. Emmeline Aglipay-Villar will soon be designated by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez as the “caretaker” of the district that Villar vacated.

Mark’s father, former Senate President Manny Villar, earlier said in a newspaper report that a caretaker representative for Las Piñas City might come from the either of the two cities closest to it, Muntinlupa or Parañaque.

The elder Villar said holding an election for a new district representative would be “too expensive” immediately after the May 2016 national and local elections.

Citing information from Alvarez, Fariñas said Mark has formally submitted his resignation papers.

“According to the Speaker, Rep. Mark Villar has resigned,” he said. 

Under Republic Act No. 6645 or "An Act Prescribing the Manner of Filling a Vacancy in the Congress of the Philippines,” the House can ask the Commission on Elections to hold a special elections for a new representative if the congressional seat is vacated for at least a year before the elections.

However, the law is silent on what should be done in case the vacancy occurs before the prescribed period.

In the 15th Congress, then-Speaker Belmonte Jr. served as the caretaker representative of Bohol’s second district following the death of Erico Aumentado on Christmas Day in 2012.  — RSJ, GMA News