Who is new Speaker Faustino 'Bojie' Dy III?

Isabela 6th District Representative Faustino "Bojie" de Guzman Dy III has assumed the Speakership of the House of Representatives and replace Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez as the lower chamber's top leader.

The 64-year-old Bojie Dy, a member of the influential Dy political family of Isabela, is a partymate of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. in Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP).

According to information gathered by GMA Integrated News Research, Dy never lost an election since he started serving as mayor of Cauayan town from 1992 to 2001.

He was later elected as representative of Isabela's 3rd District for three straight terms from 2001 to 2010, then back again in his home province as Isabela governor from 2010 to 2019.

Dy's 2010 successful election bid came with the defeat of then-incumbent Isabela governor Grace Padaca, a victory that upended what would have been Padaca's third and last term as governor.

Padaca, who is from Kaya Natin Movement for Good Governance and Leadership, was the only candidate who was able to snap the Dy family's hold of the provincial capitol since 1970, after she won as governor in 2004 and served until 2010.

Dy moved to the Isabela vice gubernatorial post from 2019 to 2025 before being elected again in Congress as Isabela 6th District representative during the May 2025 polls without any opponent.

He was one of the Deputy Speakers during the Speakership of Romualdez.

His nephews Ian and Mike also currently serve as the representatives of Isabela's 3rd and 5th Districts, respectively.

Dy's son, Inno, now sits as the mayor of Echague, Isabela.

House Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo Representative Lorenz Defensor praised Dy ahead Wednesday's plenary session, wherein Romualdez resigned from the Speakership.

"I have known him to be a good man. He has quiet leadership as the House Deputy Speaker and I am ready to serve him as [Majority] Floor Leader," Defensor told reporters. 

Deputy Speaker Jefferson "Jay" Khonghun, for his part, said Romualdez expressed support for Dy's leadership.

"They are okay, and they have talked to each other during the political party leadership [this morning]. The Speaker is very supportive of the incoming Speaker. They are friends, and former Speaker Romualdez has confidence in Congressman Dy’s leadership," Khonghun said. — VDV, GMA Integrated News