The deputy speakers of the House of Representatives of the Philippines () are the second highest-ranking officials of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. During the absence of the House speaker, one of the House deputy speakers will preside over a session of the chamber.
The positions of deputy speakers were established in the 10th Congress, replacing the single office of speaker pro tempore, which existed from 1922 to 1995.
The 14 incumbent deputy speakers of the House are representatives Dinand Hernandez (Senior Deputy Speaker), Janette Garin, Yasser Balindong, Paolo Ortega, Jay Khonghun, Ronaldo Puno, Ferjenel Biron, Raymond Mendoza, Yevgeny Emano, David Suarez, Maria Rachel Arenas, Duke Frasco, Albee Benitez, and Mercedes Alvarez–Lansang.
Election and incumbency The House elects its deputy speakers by a majority vote of the members present, provided there is a quorum, either at the opening of a new Congress every three years, after a general election, or when a vacancy occurs.
In the event of the death, resignation, or permanent incapacity of any deputy speaker, the speaker of the House may designate an acting deputy speaker.
Duties and powers The duties and powers of the House deputy speakers, as contained in Rule V, Section 17 of the House rules, are the following: to assume the duties and powers of the speaker when so chosen by a majority vote or by lot among themselves, as the case may be, in cases of absence or temporary incapacity of the speaker, until such time that the speaker returns to office and resumes work; and, in case of resignation, removal, permanent incapacity or death of the speaker, until such time that a new speaker is elected and qualified; to preside over the session when, even if present, the speaker does not preside, or has not designated any other member as temporary presiding officer as provided in Section 15(h) of Rule IV; to monitor, coordinate and facilitate action on measures filed, requests, and other concerns of members representing constituencies to which they may be assigned by the speaker; to recommend to the speaker appropriate policies, strategies and programs of action to improve the process of legislation and the quality of legislative measures, and to effectively address concerns of members on matters affecting them, their constituencies, and the overall operations and integrity of the House; to appoint personnel of the House when so authorized by the speaker; and to perform such other duties and functions as may be assigned or delegated to them by the speaker. Prior to the creation of the deputy speakerships in 1995, Batas Pambansa No. 882, enacted on December 9, 1985, provided that the speaker pro tempore of the Batasang Pambansa would act as president in the event of the deputy prime minister's inability to do so during vacancies in the offices of the prime minister, the speaker of the Batasan, and the president of the Philippines, prior to the presidential election supposed to take place in 1987. Upon the ratification of the 1987 Constitution, only the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House were included in the presidential line of succession.
History Vice president of the Malolos Congress In 1898, the short-lived Malolos Congress elected Benito Legarda as its vice president, serving as deputy to president Pedro Paterno. This was the first known instance of a deputy presiding officer elected by a national legislative body in the Philippines.
Speaker pro tempore
After the Jones Law was enacted to serve as the interim constitution of the Philippines, an elected House of Representatives served as the lower house of the bicameral Congress. The House elected Antonio de las Alas as its first speaker pro tempore during the 6th Philippine Legislature. The position then became vacant until Quintín Paredes was elected in 1928. Jose Zulueta was the last speaker pro tempore before the abolition of Congress in 1935 but was subsequently elected to the same position in the unicameral National Assembly. Amendments adopted in 1940 to the 1935 Constitution restored the bicameral legislature the following year, in 1941.
Prospero Sanidad was elected speaker pro tempore of the reestablished House in the first Commonwealth Congress. Shifting leadership between the Nacionalista and Liberal parties in subsequent Congresses led to speakers pro tempore from different parties being elected to the position until 1972. Francisco Ortega, a member of the Liberal Party, became the speaker pro tempore after the party gained a majority in the House after the 1946 elections. At the start of the 3rd Congress, Daniel Romualdez was elected speaker pro tempore. He was succeeded by Constancio Castañeda in the 4th Congress after Jose Laurel Jr. resigned the speakership to run for vice president in the 1957 elections and Romualdez was elected speaker. Jose Aldeguer served as the last speaker pro tempore of the House before Congress was dissolved when President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law and assumed legislative powers.
The position was revived when the unicameral Batasang Pambansa, established in 1978, elected Blah T. Sinsuat as speaker pro tempore of the Interim Batasan in November 1981. Salipada Pendatun, who had previously served as speaker pro tempore from 1962 to 1965, was reelected to the position in 1984 in the Regular Batasang Pambansa and served until his death in 1985, when he was succeeded by Macacuna Dimaporo. The Batasan was later abolished with the signing of Proclamation No. 3 by President Corazon Aquino, known as the “Freedom Constitution.”
The 1987 Constitution restored the bicameral Congress, with the House of Representatives as its lower chamber. Antonio Cuenco and Raul Daza served as speakers pro tempore of the House during the 8th and 9th Congresses, respectively.
Deputy speakerships
In 1995, the position of speaker pro tempore was replaced by deputy speakerships, wherein three representatives, one from the island groups of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, would serve concurrently and in rotation to preside over the chamber during the speaker's absence. Hernando Perez, Raul Daza, and Simeon Datumanong were elected in the 10th Congress as the first deputy speakers for Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, respectively. The House then elected six deputy speakers, now representing the chamber at-large, from 2010 to 2016.
In the 17th Congress, the number of deputy speakers was increased to 12 in anticipation of a shift to federalism, with each deputy speaker supposed to represent a potential federal state. Several additional deputy speakers were eventually elected, and following the election of Lord Allan Velasco as speaker in 2020, 12 more were added, bringing the total to 32, the highest in the House's history. A senior deputy speaker was also designated from among the deputy speakers. The number was reduced in the 19th Congress, with the election of only 9 deputy speakers.
List of senior deputy speakers Portrait Name Term of office Party Speaker Legislature Paulino Salvador LeachonMember for Oriental Mindoro–1st(born 1974) October 14,2020 June 30,2022 PDP–Laban Lord Allan Velasco 18th Congress Gloria Macapagal ArroyoMember for Pampanga–2nd(born 1947) July 25,2022 May 17,2023 Lakas Martin Romualdez 19th Congress Aurelio Gonzales Jr.Member for Pampanga–3rd(born 1962) May 17,2023 June 30,2025 PDP–Laban(until 2023) Lakas(from 2023) David SuarezMember for Quezon–2nd(born 1977) July 28,2025 November 19,2025 Lakas 20th Congress Bojie Dy Dinand HernandezMember for South Cotabato–2nd(born 1966) November 19,2025 Incumbent PFP
List of deputy speakers Vice President of the Malolos Congress (1898–1899) Portrait Name Term of office Party President Legislature Benito LegardaMember for Sulu(1853–1915) September 15,1898 November 13,1899 Nonpartisan Pedro Paterno Malolos Congress
Speaker pro tempore of the House of Representatives (1916–1935) Portrait Name Term of office Party Speaker Legislature colspan="6" rowspan="3" Sergio Osmeña 4th Legislature 5th Legislature Manuel Roxas 6th Legislature Antonio de las AlasMember for Batangas–1st(1889–1983) November 13,1923 July 16,1929 NacionalistaColectivista(until 1925) Nacionalista Consolidado(from 1925) 7th Legislature 8th Legislature Quintín ParedesMember for Abra at-large(1884–1973) July 16,1929 November 8,1930 Nacionalista Consolidado Antonio de las AlasMember for Batangas–1st(1889–1983) November 8,1930 January 25,1933 Nacionalista Consolidado 9th Legislature Quintín ParedesMember for Abra at-large(1884–1973) January 25,1933 July 24,1933 Nacionalista Consolidado Jose ZuluetaMember for Iloilo–1st(1889–1972) July 24,1933 November 25,1935 Nacionalista Consolidado(until 1934) Quintín Paredes NacionalistaDemocratico(from 1934) 10th Legislature
Speaker pro tempore of the National Assembly (1935–1941) Portrait Name Term of office Party Speaker Legislature Jose ZuluetaMember for Iloilo–1st(1889–1972) November 25,1935 December 30,1941 Nacionalista Democratico(until 1938) Gil Montilla 1st National Assembly Nacionalista(from 1938) José Yulo 2nd National Assembly
Speaker pro tempore of the House of Representatives (1945–1972) Portrait Name Term of office Party Speaker Legislature Prospero SanidadMember for Ilocos Sur–2nd(1897–1969) June 9,1945 May 25,1946 Nacionalista Jose Zulueta 1st Commonwealth Congress Francisco OrtegaMember for La Union–1st(1904–1967) May 25,1946 December 30,1949 Liberal Eugenio Pérez 2nd Commonwealth Congress 1st Congress Domingo VelosoMember for Leyte–2nd December 30,1949 December 30,1953 Liberal 2nd Congress Daniel RomualdezMember for Leyte–4th(1907–1965) January 25,1954 December 30,1957 Nacionalista Jose Laurel Jr. 3rd Congress Constancio CastañedaMember for Tarlac–2nd January 27,1958 March 8,1962 Nacionalista Daniel Romualdez 4th Congress 5th Congress Salipada PendatunMember for Cotabato at-large(1912–1985) March 8,1962 February 2,1967 Liberal Cornelio Villareal 6th Congress Jose AldeguerMember for Iloilo–5th February 2,1967 January 17,1973 Nacionalista Jose Laurel Jr. 7th Congress Cornelio Villareal
Speaker pro tempore of the Batasang Pambansa (1981–1986) Portrait Name Term of office Party Speaker Legislature Blah T. SinsuatMember for Region XII(1908–1984) November 10,1981 June 30,1984 KBL Querube Makalintal Interim Batasang Pambansa Salipada PendatunMember for Maguindanao(1912–1985) July 23,1984 January 27,1985 KBL Nicanor Yñiguez Regular Batasang Pambansa colspan="6" Macacuna DimaporoMember for Lanao del Sur March 13,1985 March 25,1986 KBL
Speaker pro tempore of the House of Representatives (1987–1995) Portrait Name Term of office Party Speaker Legislature Antonio CuencoMember for Cebu City–2nd(1936–2020) July 27,1987 June 30,1992 LnB(until 1988) Ramon Mitra Jr. 8th Congress LDP(from 1988) Raul DazaMember for Northern Samar–1st(born 1935) July 27,1992 June 30,1995 Liberal Jose de Venecia Jr. 9th Congress
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (since 1995) This list excludes representatives who have served as senior deputy speakers of the House of Representatives, who are officially included in the overall roster of deputy speakers.For the list, see list of senior deputy speakers.