The legislative districts of Sulu are the representations of the province of Sulu in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The province is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its first and second congressional districts.

History

Initially being excluded from representation in the lower house of the Philippine Legislature in 1907, the then-non-Christian-majority areas of the Philippines — which included the Department of Mindanao and Sulu, of which Sulu (including what is now Tawi-Tawi) was part — were finally extended legislative representation with the passage of the Philippine Autonomy Act in 1916 by the United States Congress. The Revised Administrative Code (Act No. 2711) enacted on March 10, 1917, further elaborated on the manner by which these areas would be represented.[1] The non-Christian areas were to be collectively represented in the upper house's 12th senatorial district by two senators, both appointed by the Governor-General.[1] Five assembly members, also appointed by the Governor-General, were to represent the seven component provinces of Department of Mindanao and Sulu — Agusan, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Davao, Lanao, Sulu and Zamboanga — in the lower house as a single at-large district.

These arrangements remained in place despite the abolition of the Department in 1920. It lasted until 1935, when each of the seven provinces was provided a single representative to the National Assembly of the Philippines, albeit the manner of election varying between provinces. Voters of the more Christianized provinces of Agusan, Bukidnon, Davao and Zamboanga could elect their representative through popular vote by virtue of Article VI, Section 1 of the 1935 Constitution.[2] In the Muslim-dominated provinces of Cotabato, Lanao and Sulu, however, voter qualifications were more restrictive: the only persons allowed to vote for the province's representative were past and present municipal officials (municipal president, vice-president, municipal councilors); present senators, assembly representatives and 1935 Constitutional Convention delegates; provincial governors and members of provincial boards; and any persons currently residing in the concerned province who held any of the aforementioned positions in the past.[3] This was the manner by which Sulu's representative was elected in 1935.

The 1st National Assembly of the Philippines passed Commonwealth Act No. 44 on October 13, 1936, to finally give all qualified voters of Sulu (along with Cotabato and Lanao) the right to elect their own representatives through popular vote.[4] Voters began to elect their representatives in this manner beginning in 1938.

In the disruption caused by the Second World War, the Province of Sulu sent two delegates to the National Assembly of the Japanese-sponsored Second Philippine Republic: one was the provincial governor (an ex officio member), while the other was elected through a provincial assembly of KALIBAPI members during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Upon the restoration of the Philippine Commonwealth in 1945 the province retained its pre-war lone congressional district.

Sulu (excluding Tawi-Tawi, which became a separate province in 1973[5]) was represented in the Interim Batasang Pambansa as part of Region IX from 1978 to 1984. The province returned one representative, elected at large, to the Regular Batasang Pambansa in 1984.

Under the new Constitution which was proclaimed on February 11, 1987, the province was reapportioned into two congressional districts;[6] each elected its member to the restored House of Representatives starting that same year.

Tawi-Tawi last formed part of its representation in 1972.

1st District

1st District of Sulu
Period Representative[8]
8th Congress
1987–1992		 Abdusakur M. Tan
9th Congress
1992–1995		 Bensaudi O. Tulawie
10th Congress
1995–1998
11th Congress
1998–2001		 Hussin U. Amin
12th Congress
2001–2004
13th Congress
2004–2007
14th Congress
2007–2010		 Yusop Jikiri
15th Congress
2010–2013		 Habib T. Loong[lower-alpha 1]
16th Congress
2013–2016
17th Congress
2016–2019		 vacant[lower-alpha 2]
18th Congress
2019–2022		 Samier A. Tan
19th Congress
2022–2025

Notes

  1. ↑ Elected for third term, but died on June 30, 2016 before assuming office.[9] Seat remained vacant until the end of the 17th Congress.
  2. ↑ PBA Partylist Representative Jericho Nograles was designated as the legislative caretaker of the district.[10]

2nd District

2nd District of Sulu
Period Representative[8]
8th Congress
1987–1992		 Arden S. Anni
9th Congress
1992–1995		 Asani S. Tammang
10th Congress
1995–1998
11th Congress
1998–2001
12th Congress
2001–2004		 Abdulmunir M. Arbison
13th Congress
2004–2007
14th Congress
2007–2010
15th Congress
2010–2013		 Nur-Ana I. Sahidulla
16th Congress
2013–2016		 Maryam N. Arbison
17th Congress
2016–2019		 Abdulmunir M. Arbison
18th Congress
2019–2022
19th Congress
2022–2025		 Munir N. Arbison, Jr.

Lone District (defunct)

  • includes the present-day province of Tawi-Tawi
Period Representative[8]
1st National Assembly
1935–1938		 Ombra Amilbangsa
2nd National Assembly
1938–1941		 Gulamu Rasul
1st Commonwealth Congress
1945		 Ombra Amilbangsa
1st Congress
1946–1949
2nd Congress
1949–1953		 Gulamu Rasul[lower-alpha 1]
Ombra Amilbangsa[lower-alpha 2]
3rd Congress
1953–1957
4th Congress
1957–1961
5th Congress
1961–1965		 Salih Ututalum[lower-alpha 3]
6th Congress
1965–1969
Indanan Anni[lower-alpha 4]
7th Congress
1969–1972

Notes

  1. ↑ Unseated in 1950 after losing election protest to Ombra Amilbangsa.[8]
  2. ↑ Replaced Gulamu Rasul after winning election protest in 1950.[8]
  3. ↑ Unseated in 1969 after losing election protest to Indanan Anni.[8]
  4. ↑ Took oath of office on April 23, 1969 after winning election protest against Salih Ututalum.[8]

At-Large (defunct)

1943–1944

  • includes the present-day province of Tawi-Tawi
Period Representatives[8]
National Assembly
1943–1944		 Gulamu Rasul[11]
Ombra Amilbangsa (ex officio)[11]

1984–1986

Period Representative[8]
Regular Batasang Pambansa
1984–1986		 Hussin T. Loong

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Philippine Legislature (1917). Revised Administrative Code of the Philippine Islands of 1917 (Act No. 2711) (Digitized Revised Administrative Code of the Philippine Islands of 1917 from the Presidential Museum and Library Collection, uploaded on February 15, 2016). Bureau of Printing. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  2. ↑ Commonwealth of the Philippines (February 8, 1935). "The 1935 Constitution". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  3. ↑ Philippine Legislature (1937). "Public Laws Enacted by the Philippine Legislature, Acts No. 4203 to 4275". Public Resolutions, Etc. Laws, etc. Bureau of Printing Office: 5. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  4. ↑ National Assembly of the Philippines (October 13, 1936). "Commonwealth Act No. 44 - An Act applying the General provisions of the Election Law to the election of Assemblymen from the Provinces of Lanao, Cotabato, and Sulu". Official Gazette. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Presidential Decree No. 302 - Creating the Province of Tawi-Tawi". The LawPhil Project. September 27, 1973. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  6. ↑ 1986 Constitutional Commission (February 2, 1987). "1987 Constitution of the Philippines - Apportionment Ordinance". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved November 19, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. 1 2 "Population of Population of Legislative Districts by Region, Province, and Selected Highly Urbanized/Component City: 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Congressional Library Bureau. "Roster of Philippine Legislators". Republic of the Philippines, House of Representatives. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  9. ↑ Lacson, Nonoy E. (December 3, 2016). "Sulu leaders want special elections to fill late Rep. Loong's seat". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  10. ↑ Cruz, Maricel (November 20, 2018). "Nograles named 'legislative caretaker'". Manila Standard. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  11. 1 2 Official program of the inauguration of the Republic of the Philippines and the induction into office of His Excellency Jose P. Laurel. Bureau of Printing. 1943.
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