Villanueva takes oath as senator in hometown Bocaue

Executive Secretary Pacquito N. Ochoa Jr. on Wednesday swore into office neophyte Senator Joel "TESDAMAN" Villanueva in front of St. Martin of Tours Parish Church in his hometown Bocaue, Bulacan.

Villanueva was accompanied by his parents Bro. Eddie Villanueva and Sis. Dory Villanueva, his wife Gladys, and their children Jaden and Gwyn.

Also present were former Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, Bulacan Vice Governor Daniel Fernando and local officials.

The 40-year-old senator said he chose to take his oath of office in Bocaue because he wanted to share the historic moment with his fellow Bocaueños.

Villanueva is the first senator from Bocaue and first senator from Bulacan after almost 20 years.

"Ngayong taon po, 100 taon na ang Senado ng Republika ng Pilipinas, at buong pagpapakumbaba ko pong nais ibalita sa aking mga kababayan na tapos na ang napakatagal nating paghihintay, ang magkaroon ng Bocaueño doon sa Senado at halos dalawang dekadang kahilingan na magkaroon ng Bulakenyong Senador," Villanueva said during his speech.

Villanueva won a Senate seat in last month's elections, placing 2nd in the senatorial race with 18,459,222 votes.

The junior senator recalled he was at rank 35-45 during the previous surveys. In January of this year, he was at the 17th spot.

"Sa mga unang survey, rank 35-45 ako. Pero narito tayo ngayon. Rank one, two or twelve ka ba sa senado? Hindi po 'yan ang mahalagang tanong kundi ito: "Sino at ano ba ang rank one sa puso mo?" Ang sagot ko po: "Trabaho para sa mas maraming Pilipino," Villanueva said.

This is the first time that Villanueva ran for the Senate after his stint as Director-General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) from 2010-2015 and Representative of Citizens' Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC) Party-list for three terms from 2001-2010. Villanueva became the youngest member of the House of Representatives when he took his oath of office at the age of 25, on February 6, 2002.

Villanueva ran under the Liberal Party's Daang Matuwid coalition, and remains President and Chairman of CIBAC Party-list.