The 2007 Philippine House of Representatives elections were held on May 14, 2007, to elect members to the House of Representatives of the Philippines to serve in the 14th Congress of the Philippines from June 30, 2007, until June 30, 2010. The Philippines uses parallel voting for seats in the House of Representatives.
The administration-led TEAM Unity maintained control of the House of Representatives although the opposition-backed Genuine Opposition won control of the Senate. Incumbent Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. of Pangasinan was elected Speaker after being the only one nominated: 186 voted for De Venecia, 1 against (Eduardo Joson) and 24 abstentions.
Electoral system The House of Representatives shall have not more than 250 members, unless otherwise fixed by law, of which 20% shall be elected via the party-list system, while the rest are elected via congressional districts.
In this election, there are 218 seats voted via first-past-the-post in single-member districts. Each province, and a city with a population of 250,000, is guaranteed a seat, with more populous provinces and cities divided into two or more districts.
Congress has the power of redistricting three years after each census.
As there are 218 congressional districts, there shall be 53 seats available under the party-list system. A party has to cross the 2% electoral threshold to win a guaranteed seat. Next, the court ruled that the first-placed party should always have more seats than the other parties, and that the prior 2%–4%–6% method will only be used for the first-placed party. As for parties that got 2% of the vote but did not have the most votes, they will automatically have one more seat, then any extra seats will be determined via dividing their votes to the number of votes of the party with the most votes, then the quotient will be multiplied by the number of seats the party with the most votes has. The product, disregarding decimals (it is not rounded), will be the number of seats a party will get.
The Supreme Court ruled the 2% electoral threshold as unconstitutional in 2009, which then allocated a new way to allocate seats.
Redistricting Reapportioning (redistricting) the number of seats is either via national reapportionment three years after the release of every census, or via piecemeal redistricting for every province or city. National reapportionment has not happened since the 1987 constitution took effect, and aside from piecemeal redistricting, the apportionment was based on the ordinance from the constitution, which was in turn based from the 1980 census.
For this election, 7 new districts were added, with 1 from the 10th Congress, 1 from the immediately preceding 12th Congress, and 5 from the outgoing 13th Congress. Cagayan de Oro, Dinagat Islands, Marikina, Sultan Kudarat, Taguig–Pateros, Zamboanga City and Zamboanga Sibugay all increased their number of districts by one each.
Changes from previous congresses
Division of Taguig–Pateros's at-large district to two districts: Taguig attains cityhood, and its western barangays and Pateros becomes the 1st district. Taguig's eastern barangays becomes the 2nd district. Enacted into law as Republic Act No. 8487. Defeated in a plebiscite on April 25, 1998. Declaration of result of plebiscite nullified by the Supreme Court, ordered the Commission on Elections to handle the case. Announced as being approved after recount on December 8, 2004.
Division of Zamboanga City's at-large district to two districts Zamboanga City's western barangays becomes the 1st district. The eastern barangays becomes the 2nd district. Enacted into law as Republic Act No. 9269.
Changes from the outgoing Congress
Creation of Dinagat Islands province This created the province of Dinagat Islands from the municipalities of Surigao del Norte's 1st district wholly located in Dinagat Island. Enacted into law as Republic Act No. 9355. Approved in a plebiscite on December 2, 2006. Division of Sultan Kudarat's at-large district to two districts Sultan Kudarat's eastern municipalities and Tacurong becomes the 1st district. The western municipalities becomes the 2nd district. Enacted into law as Republic Act No. 9357. Division of Zamboanga SIbugay's at-large district to two districts Zamboanga Sibugay's municipalities bordering Zamboanga del Sur except Kabasalan becomes the 1st district. The municipalities bordering Zamboanga del Norte becomes the 2nd district. Enacted into law as Republic Act No. 9360. Division of Marikina's at-large district to two districts Marikina's southwestern barangays becomes the 1st district. The northeastern barangays becoming the 2nd district. Enacted into law as Republic Act No. 9364. Division of Cagayan de Oro's at-large district to two districts Cagayan de Oro's barangays to the west of the Cagayan River becomes the 1st district. The barangays to the east of the river becomes the 2nd district. Enacted into law as Republic Act No. 9371.
Summary of changes As there were 218 seats from congressional districts, and since the constitution requires that there should be 1 party-list seat for every 4 seats from congressional districts, this means there were 53 party-list seats up for this election, or for a total of 270 seats. CategoryTotalCongressional districts in the outgoing Congress211New districts from redistricting laws from previous congresses2New districts from redistricting laws from outgoing Congress5Congressional districts in the next Congress218Party-list seats for the next Congress53Total seats for the next Congress270
Campaign
Genuine Opposition The Genuine Opposition (GO) targeted to win at least 80 seats to be able to impeach President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo; however the administration's TEAM Unity prevented GO in winning several of those seats by fielding in strong candidates against GO in those districts.
Lakas vs. KAMPI The administration's two main parties, Lakas-CMD and Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI), was seen to win majority of the seats, with most contests contested by the two parties. This inevitably produced a split in the administration ranks on who would be their candidate for Speaker in the impending victory. However, the two parties were united in supporting President Arroyo and were able to prevent any impeachment proceeding against her or her allies from reaching the Senate.
Lakas-CMD party leader and House Speaker Jose de Venecia was challenged by KAMPI's Pablo P. Garcia for the speakership in the incoming 14th Congress of the Philippines which has caused a battle between administration allies. Recently, Garcia was accused by Parañaque 1st District Rep. Eduardo Zialcita and Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante, Jr. both under the party Lakas-CMD of using Government Service Insurance System or GSIS pension funds care of Garcia's son GSIS Vice-Chairman, General Manager and President Winston Garcia to bribe congressmen of PHP 300,000 to 400,000 to support his father's speakership bid.
Retiring and term limited incumbents
Lakas-CMD Agusan del Norte's 1st District: Leovigildo Banaag: Term-limited in 2007 Agusan del Norte's 2nd District: Ma. Angelica Rosedell Amante Albay's 3rd District: Joey Salceda: Term-limited in 2007, ran and won as Governor of Albay Basilan's Lone District: Gerry Salapuddin: Term-limited in 2007 Bohol's 3rd District: Eladio Jala: Term-limited in 2007 Bukidnon's 3rd District: Juan Miguel Zubiri: Term-limited in 2007, ran and won as Senator. However, replaced by Koko Pimentel in 2011 Bulacan's 1st District: Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado: Term-limited in 2007, ran and won as Vice Governor of Bulacan Cagayan de Oro City's Lone District: Constantino Jaraula: Term-limited in 2007, ran and won as Mayor of Cagayan de Oro Cebu's 4th District: Clavel Martinez: Term-limited in 2007, ran and lost as Vice Governor of Cebu Compostela Valley's 2nd District: Prospero Amatong: Term-limited in 2007 Davao del Norte's 2nd District: Antonio Floirendo, Jr.: Term-limited in 2007 Ilocos Sur's 1st District: Salacnib Baterina: Term-limited in 2007 Leyte's 3rd District: Eduardo Veloso: Term-limited in 2007 Mandaluyong's Lone District: Benjamin Abalos, Jr.: Ran and won as Mayor of Mandaluyong Manila's 1st District: Ernesto Nieva: Term-limited in 2007 Marinduque's Lone District: Edmundo Reyes, Jr.: Term-limited in 2007 Pasig's Lone District: Robert "Dodot" Jaworski, Jr.: Ran and lost in the Mayoralty race in Pasig San Jose del Monte City's Lone District: Eduardo Roquero: Ran and won as Mayor of San Jose del Monte City Siquijor's Lone District: Orlando Fua, Jr.: Term-limited in 2007, ran and won as Governor of Siquijor Sulu's 1st District: Hussin Amin: Term-limited in 2007 Surigao del Norte's 2nd District: Ace Barbers: Term-limited in 2007, ran and won as Governor of Surigao del Norte Surigao del Sur's 1st District: Prospero Pichay: Term-limited in 2007, ran and lost in the Senatorial race Valenzuela City's 1st District: Jose Emmanuel Carlos: Ran and lost in the Mayoralty race in Valenzuela City
Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino Antipolo City's 2nd District: Victor Sumulong: Term-limited in 2007, ran and won as Mayor of Antipolo City Batangas 4th District: Oscar Gozos: Ran and won as Mayor of Lipa Davao Oriental's 1st District: Corazon Malanyaon: Ran and won as Governor of Davao Oriental La Union's 2nd District: Tomas Dumpit: Term-limited in 2007 Misamis Oriental's 2nd District: Augusto Baculio: Term-limited in 2007 Pangasinan's 2nd District: Amado Espino, Jr.: Ran and won as Governor of Pangasinan Pangasinan's 3rd District: Generoso Tulagan: Term-limited in 2007 Pasay City's Lone District: Consuelo Dy: Ran and lost in the Mayoralty race in Pasay
Kilusang Bagong Lipunan Ilocos Norte's 1st District: Imee Marcos: Term-limited in 2007
Laban ng Demokratikong Filipino Iloilo's 5th District: Rolex Suplico: Term-limited in 2007, ran and won as Vice Governor of Iloilo Makati's 2nd District: Agapito Aquino: Term-limited in 2007 Negros Oriental's 1st District: Jacinto Paras: Term-limited in 2007 Nueva Vizcaya's Lone District: Rodolfo Agbayani: Ran and lost as Governor of Nueva Vizcaya
Liberal Party Bataan's 1st District: Antonio Roman: Term-limited in 2007 Bukidnon's 1st District: J.R. Nereus Acosta: Term-limited in 2007 Kalinga's Lone District: Lawrence Wacnang: Term-limited in 2007 Laguna's 3rd District: Danton Bueser: Term-limited in 2007, ran and lost in the Mayoralty race in San Pablo Malabon-Navotas's Lone District: Federico Sandoval: Term-limited in 2007, ran and lost in the Mayoral race in Navotas Manila's 4th District: Rodolfo Bacani: Term-limited in 2007, ran and lost in the Mayoralty race in Manila Northern Samar's 1st District: Harlin Abayon: Term-limited in 2007 Quezon's 1st District: Rafael Nantes: Term-limited in 2007, ran and won as Governor of Quezon Tarlac's 2nd District: Benigno Aquino III: Term-limited in 2007, ran and won in the Senatorial race
Nacionalista Party Manila's 5th District: Joey Hizon: Term-limited in 2007, ran and lost in the Vice Mayoral race in Manila Taguig City-Pateros's Lone District: Alan Peter Cayetano: Term-limited in 2007, ran and won in the Senatorial race
Nationalist People's Coalition Apayao's Lone District: Elias Bulut, Jr.: Term-limited in 2007, ran and won as Governor Cagayan's 1st District: Juan Ponce Enrile, Jr.: Term-limited in 2007 Caloocan's 2nd District: Luis Asistio: Ran and lost in the Mayoralty race in Caloocan Camiguin's Lone District: Jurdin Jesus Romualdo: Term-limited in 2007, ran and won as Governor Cebu's 2nd District: Simeon Kintanar: Term-limited in 2007 Cebu's 3rd District: Antonio Yapha: Term-limited in 2007 Cotabato's 2nd District: Gregorio Ipong: Term-limited in 2007 Davao City's 3rd District: Ruy Elias Lopez: Term-limited in 2007 Davao del Sur's 1st District: Douglas Cagas: Term-limited in 2007, ran and won as Governor