Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Representatives of the Philippines
Elected officer of the House of Representatives of the Philippines
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The sergeant-at-arms of the House of Representatives of the Philippines (Filipino: Tagapamayapa ng Kapulungan ng mga Kinatawan ng Pilipinas)[1] is an officer of the Philippine House of Representatives, whose duty is to ensure order within the House of Representatives Building Complex—the seat of the lower chamber of Congress—enforce the rules of the House, and protect the lives of its officers, members, personnel, guests, and the property within its premises. The mace of the House—serving as its symbol of authority—situated at the foot of the speaker’s rostrum during sessions, is also in their custody, acting as the warrant empowering the sergeant-at-arms to enforce order in the floor of the chamber upon the speaker’s directive.
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| Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Representatives of the Philippines | |
|---|---|
| Tagapamayapa ng Kapulungan ng mga Kinatawan ng Pilipinas | |
Incumbent since September 23, 2025Ferdinand Melchor dela Cruz | |
| House of Representatives of the Philippines | |
| Style | The Honorable |
| Seat | Batasang Pambansa Complex, Batasan Hills, Quezon City |
| Appointer | Elected by the House of Representatives |
| Salary | ₱2,270,000 per year (2023) |
The current sergeant-at-arms of the House is retired Brigadier General Ferdinand Melchor dela Cruz.[2]
Powers and duties
According to Rule VII, Section 20 of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the duties and powers of the sergeant-at-arms are:[3]
- To attend all sessions of the House unless excused by the Speaker or the Presiding Officer, and personally or through his designee(s), all meetings of the committees;
- To strictly enforce rules relating to admission to the session hall, the galleries, offices, corridors and premises of the House building;
- To ensure that employees under the office of the Sergeant-at-Arms observe proper behavior and faithfully perform their duties;
- To implement orders and serve all processes issued by authority of the House or by the Speaker;
- To secure and maintain order in the session hall, galleries, offices, corridors and premises of the House building during sessions, during the conduct of meetings of committees and during such other proceedings or activities of the House whether or not the House is in session;
- To secure the safety of the Members while in the House premises or in any other place as the Speaker may direct;
- To secure the properties of the House;
- To recommend and implement upon the direction of the Speaker, security management systems, policies and programs that will ensure the maintenance of order in the House and its premises, protect the safety of the Members and employees, visitors and other persons who are within the premises of the House on official business, and the preservation of properties, equipment, facilities, documents and records of the House; and
- To act as custodian of the Mace, which shall be the symbol of authority and shall be borne by the Sergeant-at-Arms while enforcing order on the floor.
Section 21 also states that "the Sergeant-at-Arms shall prepare and submit to the House, through the Speaker, at the end of every fiscal year, a performance report relative to programs and activities relating to the security and maintenance of order in the House."[4]
List
House of Representatives (1945–1973)
| Portrait | Name | Term start | Term end | Legislature | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Narciso Diokno | May 25, 1946 | 1949 | 2nd Commonwealth Congress |
|
| 1st Congress | [5] | ||||
 |
Antonio Garcia | 1949 | 1954 | 2nd Congress | |
|
Narciso Diokno | 1954 | 1962 | 3rd Congress | |
| 4th Congress | |||||
 |
Simeon Salonga | 1962 | September 23, 1972 | 5th Congress | |
| 6th Congress | |||||
| 7th Congress |
Batasang Pambansa (1978–1986)
| Portrait | Name | Term start | Term end | Legislature | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Raoul Cauton | June 12, 1978 | 1979 | Interim Batasang Pambansa |
[5] |
|
Anselmo Avenido Jr. | 1979 | 1984 | ||
|
Cesar Pobre | 1984 | March 25, 1986 | Regular Batasang Pambansa |
House of Representatives (1987–present)
| Portrait | Name | Term start | Term end | Legislature | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Serapio Taccad | July 27, 1987 | July 27, 1992 | 8th Congress | [5] |
|
Bayani Fabic | July 27, 1992 | 2008 | 9th Congress | |
| 10th Congress | |||||
| 11th Congress | |||||
| 12th Congress | |||||
| 13th Congress | |||||
| 14th Congress | |||||
|
Horacio Lactao | 2008 | July 26, 2010 | ||
|
Nicasio Radovan | July 26, 2010 | July 25, 2016 | 15th Congress | |
| 16th Congress | |||||
|
Roland Detabali | July 25, 2016 | July 30, 2018 | 17th Congress | [6] |
|
Romeo Prestoza | July 30, 2018 | July 22, 2019 | ||
|
Ramon Apolinario | July 22, 2019 | October 12, 2020 | 18th Congress | [7] |
 |
Mao Aplasca | October 12, 2020 | December 6, 2021 | [8] | |
|
Rodelio Jocson | December 6, 2021 | July 25, 2022 | [9] | |
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Napoleon Taas | July 25, 2022 | September 23, 2025 | 19th Congress | [10] |
| 20th Congress | |||||
|
Melchor dela Cruz | September 23, 2025 | present | [11] |