THE National Unity Party (NUP) on Monday night elected a new set of national officers led by Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund “LRay” Villafuerte, who was chosen to be the party’s new president.
The (NUP), the political party of businessman Enrique Razon which is the second biggest power bloc in the 19th Congress, held a general assembly
at a hotel in Quezon City where former interior secretary and Antipolo Rep. Ronaldo Puno was reelected chairman.
Villafuerte, who leads the House contingent at the bicameral Commission on Appointments (CA), was deputy speaker for finance from 2019 to 2020, as well as former vice chair of the House committees on appropriations, on public accounts, on local governments, and on national defense and security.
The former NUP vice president for political affairs was a three-term governor of CamSur before his first election to the House of Representatives in 2016, representing the second district of the premier province in Bicol.
Villafuerte replaced Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. as president of the party which endorsed the Marcos Jr.-Sara Duterte UniTeam tandem in the May 2022 national elections.
Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla was elected party vice chairman for internal affairs, Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop as vice chairman for external affairs, and Mandaluyong Rep. Neptali Gonzales II as vice chairman for legislative affairs.
Elected NUP vice presidents were Bataan Rep. Albert Garcia (for Luzon), Cebu Rep. Pablo John Garcia (for the Visayas), Agusan Del Sur Rep. Adolph Edward Plaza (for Mindanao), and Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas (for special projects).