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New leaders of Philippine 17th Congress elected

Xinhua, July 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Philippine 17th Congress opened on Monday its regular session by electing the respective leaders in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, a partymate of President Rodrigo Duterte at the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Laban ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), was chosen as the Senate president of the 24-seat chamber.

Southern Philippine province of Davao del Norte Representative Pantaleon Alvarez was elected as the new House Speaker of the over 290 district and party-list representatives.

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, representative of the Second District of northern province of Pampanga, was also present during the opening of the session in the House.

After nearly five years in detention, Arroyo was released from hospital arrest last week following the decision of the Supreme Court acquitting her of plunder charge for alleged misuse of P366-million intelligence fund of the state-run Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office during her presidency.

Later in the afternoon, a joint session of Congress will be held at the House of Representatives for Duterte's first State of the Nation Address.

Duterte is expected to spell out his legislative agenda to both Houses of Congress.

He is also set to touch on his campaign promises and enumerate his achievements in fighting drugs, crime, and corruption and in winning the peace in all fronts for the past 25 days that he has been in office. Endit