Lord Allan Jay Quinto Velasco (born November 9, 1977) is a
Filipino
Filipino may refer to:
* Something from or related to the Philippines
** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines.
** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
politician and lawyer who served as the
Speaker of the House of Representatives from October 12, 2020 to June 2022.
He is concurrently serving as the
Representative
Representative may refer to:
Politics
* Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people
* House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities
* Legislator, som ...
of
Marinduque
Marinduque (; ), officially the Province of Marinduque, is an island province in the Philippines located in Southwestern Tagalog Region or Mimaropa, formerly designated as Region IV-B. Its capital is the municipality of Boac. Marinduque lies be ...
's
lone district
Lone may refer to:
People
* Lone (given name), a given name (including a list of people with this name)
*Lone (musician), Matt Cutler, an electronic musician from Nottingham, United Kingdom
*Lone (surname), a surname (including a list of people w ...
since 2016, and previously from 2010 to 2013. He previously served as the Marinduque chapter president of the
Integrated Bar of the Philippines
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines ( fil, Pinagsamang mga Abogasya ng Pilipinas abbreviated as IBP) is the national organization of lawyers in the Philippines. It is the mandatory bar association for Filipino lawyers.
History
The IBP was estab ...
, and Marinduque provincial administrator under Governor
Jose Antonio Carrion.
Personal life
Early life and family
Velasco was born on November 9, 1977.
His father is lawyer
Presbitero Velasco Jr.
Presbitero Jose Velasco Jr. (born August 8, 1948) is the incumbent Governor of Marinduque and was a former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. He was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Ma ...
, who served as an
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is any member of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the chief justice of the United States. The number of associate justices is eight, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1 ...
from 2006 to 2018, and has been governor of their home province
Marinduque
Marinduque (; ), officially the Province of Marinduque, is an island province in the Philippines located in Southwestern Tagalog Region or Mimaropa, formerly designated as Region IV-B. Its capital is the municipality of Boac. Marinduque lies be ...
since 2019.
His mother, Lorna Quinto Velasco, originally a nurse, ventured into politics: first as the
Representative
Representative may refer to:
Politics
* Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people
* House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities
* Legislator, som ...
of Ang Mata'y Aalagaan (AMA or MATA)
party-list
An electoral list is a grouping of candidates for election, usually found in proportional or mixed electoral systems, but also in some plurality electoral systems. An electoral list can be registered by a political party (a party list) or can ...
from 2013 to 2016, and from 2016 onwards as mayor of
Torrijos, Marinduque
Torrijos, officially the Municipality of Torrijos ( tl, Bayan ng Torrijos), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Marinduque, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 30,476 people.
History
On September 13, 1900 ...
.
His sister, Tricia Nicole Velasco-Catera, is also a lawyer. Velasco-Catera was their father's judicial staff head in the
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
, and their mother's chief of staff in the House. She was AMA/MATA party-list's representative from 2016 to 2019.
Velasco was educated in
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
, earning his Bachelor of Science in business management from
De La Salle University
De La Salle University ( fil, Pamantasang De La Salle or Unibersidad ng De La Salle), also referred to as DLSU, De La Salle or La Salle, is a private university, private, Catholic Church, Catholic coeducational research university run by the I ...
, and his Bachelor of Laws from the
University of Santo Tomas
The University of Santo Tomas (also known as UST and officially as the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila) is a private, Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Miguel ...
.
He was admitted to the
Integrated Bar of the Philippines
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines ( fil, Pinagsamang mga Abogasya ng Pilipinas abbreviated as IBP) is the national organization of lawyers in the Philippines. It is the mandatory bar association for Filipino lawyers.
History
The IBP was estab ...
(IBP) in 2005.
Velasco married Rowena "Wen" Amara on September 21, 2012. They have five children: Sophia, Bella, Ramon, Sara, and Lord Jose Maria.
Wen chairs the Pilipinong May Puso Foundation, a charity launched in 2016 in honor of
Soledad Duterte
Soledad Roa-Duterte (born Soledad Gonzales Roa; November 14, 1916 – February 4, 2012) was a Filipina teacher and activist. She was the mother of Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte.
Early life
Duterte was born as Soledad Gonzales Roa on Nove ...
, President
Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
's late mother.
Several high-profile personalities attended the
baptism
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...
of their daughter Sara in September 2019: President Duterte, businessman
Ramon Ang
Ramon See Ang (born January 14, 1954), also known by his initials RSA, is a Filipino businessman. He is the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Top Frontier Investment Holdings, Inc., the largest shareholder of San Miguel Corporation. ...
, senators
Bong Go
Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Tesoro Go (; born June 14, 1974) is a Filipino politician serving as a Senator since 2019. He previously served in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte as Special Assistant to the President and Head of the Presi ...
and
Sonny Angara
Sonny is a common nickname and occasional given name. Often it can be a derivative of the English word "Son", a name derived from the Ancient Germanic element *sunn meaning "sun", a nickname derived from the Italian name Salvatore (especially in N ...
, former senator
Bongbong Marcos
Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. ( , , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials PBBM or BBM, is a Filipino politician who is the 17th and current president of the Philippines. He previously served as a senat ...
, Secretary of Public Works and Highways
Mark Villar
Mark Aguilar Villar (, born August 14, 1978) is a Filipino politician and businessman serving as a Senator since 2022. He served in President Rodrigo Duterte's cabinet as the Secretary of Public Works and Highways from 2016 to 2021, and was the ...
, and Quezon City mayor
Joy Belmonte
Joy Belmonte (born Maria Josefina Tanya Go Belmonte; March 15, 1970) is a Filipina politician who has served as the 11th mayor of Quezon City since 2019. A member of the local Serbisyo sa Bayan Party, Belmonte previously served as the vice ma ...
.
Friendship with the Dutertes
The Velascos grew close to Rodrigo Duterte when they supported
his presidential campaign.
On Christmas of 2016, the Velascos celebrated at the Duterte family's house in
Davao City
Davao City, officially the City of Davao ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Dabaw; ), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of lan ...
. The Velasco couple also organized celebrations for the President's birthday in 2017 and 2018.
The President and his daughter, Davao City mayor
Sara Duterte
Sara Vicenta Zimmerman Duterte-Carpio (, ; born May 31, 1978), commonly known as Inday Sara, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who is the 15th and current vice president of the Philippines. She is the third female vice president, the third ...
, were also guests at Velasco's 2018 birthday party.
Velasco considers Sara Duterte his "
big bike riding buddy".
In the
2019 election, the President endorsed the Velasco family, who were running for various offices in Marinduque.
Political career
Provincial Administrator of Marinduque (2008–2009)
Early in his law career, he served as the chapter president of the IBP in Marinduque.
In January 2008, he was appointed as the provincial administrator of Marinduque by Governor
Jose Antonio Carrion. He also headed the Provincial Tourism Council where he focused on "sports adventure and community-based tourism".
He resigned as provincial administrator on December 1, 2009 to file his candidacy for the province's lone House seat.
House of Representatives (2010–present)
In the
2010 elections, running under
Lakas–Kampi, Velasco defeated Edmundo Reyes, the son of then-incumbent representative
Carmencita Reyes.
Velasco became the first elected government official in his family.
Velasco was defeated in his bid for re-election in 2013 by
Regina Ongsiako Reyes, daughter of incumbent Governor
Carmencita Reyes, but Velasco disputed Reyes' victory by noting that Reyes was a United States citizen during the election and was thus ineligible to hold the office. Both the
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
and the
COMELEC COMELEC or Comelec may refer to any of the following:
* Commission on Elections (Philippines) (Comelec)
* North African Power Pool
The Comité Maghrébin de l'Electricité (COMELEC), also Maghreb Electricity Committee and North African Power Poo ...
upheld Velasco's protest. Despite this, House Speaker
Feliciano Belmonte maintained that a decision to remove Reyes from her seat is up to the House Electoral Tribunal, where Velasco's case to remove her was still pending. Velasco was later proclaimed as the legitimate representative of Marinduque's lone district and assumed office on February 1, 2016.
He is the incumbent representative of the Lone District of Marinduque and chairman of the House Committee on Energy. He is also the chairman of the Oversight Committee on Solid Waste Management Act and co-chairman of the Joint Congressional Power Commission.
Speaker (2020–2022)
![Velasco takes his oath as House Speaker - RTVM (2020) (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Velasco_takes_his_oath_as_House_Speaker_-_RTVM_%282020%29_%28cropped%29.png)
With Cayetano's refusal to honor the term-sharing agreement after 184 representatives rejected his offer of resignation on September 30, 2020 and abruptly suspending the House's session on October 6, 2020, Velasco called on Cayetano to resume the House's session before November 16, 2020. He and his allies also affirmed their intent to conduct a session on October 14, 2020 to formalize his assumption as
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
During a gathering of 186 representatives at Celebrity Sports Complex in
Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
, Velasco was elected as
House Speaker on October 12, 2020, two days before the term-sharing agreement that he and
Alan Peter Cayetano
Alan Peter Schramm Cayetano (Tagalog pronunciation: ajɛˈtano born October 28, 1970) is a Filipino politician, lawyer, and diplomat serving as a Senator since 2022 and previously from 2007 to 2017. He was the Senate Minority Leader from 20 ...
agreed upon in July 2019 went into effect.
However, Cayetano disputed Velasco's election and called the gathering a "fake session."
On October 13, 2020, Cayetano tendered his "irrevocable resignation" as Speaker through a
Facebook live stream, as 186 representatives formally ratified Velasco's election as the new Speaker in the
Batasang Pambansa
The Batasang Pambansa Complex, or simply the Batasan (), is the seat of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It is located along the Batasan Road in Batasan Hills, Quezon City.
The complex was initially the home of the Batasang Pa ...
during the start of their special session.
On November 18, Velasco was appointed by the House as legislative caretaker of
Cebu City
Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas Regions of the P ...
's
1st district after the death of representative
Raul del Mar
Raul Veloso del Mar (March 20, 1941 – November 16, 2020) was a Filipino politician who served as the Representative of Cebu City's 1st district three times: from 1987 to 1998, from 2001 to 2010, and from 2013 until his death in 2020.
He wa ...
two days earlier.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Velasco, Lord Allan Jay
1977 births
21st-century Filipino lawyers
Lakas–CMD politicians
Living people
PDP–Laban politicians
Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Marinduque
Speakers of the House of Representatives of the Philippines
National Unity Party (Philippines) politicians
People from Marinduque
De La Salle University alumni
University of Santo Tomas alumni