A THOMASIAN has been appointed spokesperson of the House of Representatives, a chamber dominated by allies of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
UST Journalism alumna and lawyer Priscilla Marie “Princess” Abante’s appointment was announced on Tuesday, May 27, by House Secretary General Reginald Velasco. She will perform the role until the end of the 19th Congress on June 30.
Before the unprecedented appointment, which came days before the start of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, House leaders and the secretary general served as the talking heads on issues relevant to the chamber.
The House impeached the vice president last February over accusations that she violated the constitution, betrayed public trust and committed graft and corruption.
In a media interview, Princess said she would strengthen the communication between the House and the media by seeking to “be as truthful as possible.”
“We don’t want fake news, right? We need to improve our way of explaining to the public how the Congress handles policy-making,” she said.
“What I intend to do is to just deliver truthful statements and, as much as possible, be understood, not just by our friends in the media, but also by the people; that the people understand what policies the Congress is pushing, what they’re for, and why they’re beneficial to the people and the country.”
Princess earned her Journalism degree from the University as part of her pre-law program in 2000. Eight years later, she obtained her law degree from the UST Faculty of Civil Law.
Her first stint in the House of Representatives came when she worked as chief of staff of her father, Manila Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante, Jr. from 2004 to 2005.
Princess held the same post when her father was the House minority leader from July 2019 to October 2020.
She also worked as National Youth Commission commissioner-at-large from 2005 to 2009 and an associate at the Ponce Enrile Reyes and Manalastas Law Firm from 2009 to 2013.
Princess was a councilor for Manila’s sixth district from 2013 to 2022.
Before her designation as House spokesperson, she was the chief of the Manila Public Information Office under outgoing Manila Mayor Sheilah Maria “Honey” Lacuna. F – Erwin James Gianan and Christian Querol
