DAVAO City Representative Karlo Alexei Nograles is the new head of the House committee on appropriations.
In a text message, House Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo Fariñas (Ilocos Norte) said Nograles was named chair of the appropriations panel, which is in-charge of drafting and formulating the country's national budget as well as matters pertaining to expenditures of the government.
Nograles--the son of former House Speaker Prospero Nograles and a distant nephew of President Rodrigo Duterte--belongs to the National Unity Party (NUP) but is part of the PDP-Laban-led supermajority coalition in the House of Representative.
The lawmaker took over the post vacated by his fellow Davaoeño, former Davao City Representative Isidro Ungab.
Nograles previously chaired the House committee on labor and employment during the 16th Congress.
Meanwhile, San Juan City Representative Ronaldo Zamora was appointed head of the House delegation to the Committee on Appointments (CA) while Palawan Representative Franz Alvarez is the chair of the House committee on legislative franchises.
Zamora, a former executive secretary during the Estrada administration was previously the House Minority Floor Leader during the 16th Congress.
Other lawmakers who were appointed in various committees were Leyte Representative Lucy Torres-Gomez (Tourism), Antipolo Representative Romeo Acop (Public Order and Safety) and Batangas Representative Eileen Ermita-Buhain (Accounts).
Fariñas said they are still finalizing the chairmanship of other House committees within this week. (Sunnex)