Camille Naredo

The House of Representatives holds a memorial service for former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., February 16, 2026 at the Plenary Hall. Handout/House of Representatives

The House of Representatives holds a memorial service for former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., February 16, 2026 at the Plenary Hall.

Article (news)

House of Representatives

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771236403290viber_image_2026-02-16_18-01-37-144.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="The House of Representatives holds a memorial service for former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., February 16, 2026 at the Plenary Hall. Handout/House of Representatives" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The House of Representatives holds a memorial service for former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., February 16, 2026 at the Plenary Hall. <em>Handout/House of Representatives</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- A number of former House speakers and members of Congress took part in the memorial service for Jose de Venecia Jr. on Monday.</p><p>De Venecia&#x27;s remains were brought into the Plenary Hall by several uniformed personnel on Monday morning, giving solons the opportunity to pay their respects to one of the country&#x27;s longest-serving House Speakers.</p><p>House Speaker Faustino &quot;Bojie&quot; Dy III delivered a eulogy, saying De Venecia ensured the House was an anchor and remained steady when the country needed balance.</p><p>&quot;Sa kanyang panahon, ang House of Representatives ay naging daan ng malalaking pagbabago. Economic reforms, major infrastructure policy. Ang mga initiatives advanced under his leadership continue to shape the nation&#x27;s trajectory… Tito Joe served with conviction and grace. Sa kanyang mga kontribusyon sa ating bayan, nakita natin ang isang lider na nag-iwan ng matibay na pundasyon para sa susunod na henerasyon,&quot; Dy said.</p><p>De Venecia passed away on February 26 at the age of 89. He served as House Speaker for five terms: during the 9th to 10th, and 12th to 14th Congresses. </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/10/-former-house-speaker-jose-de-venecia-jr-passes-away-1358">READ: Former House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. passes away</a></div><p>In her eulogy, Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said De Venecia &quot;instinctively understood the intertwine between our prosperity and security with the stability of our neighbors,&quot; citing his recommendation for a trilateral agreement against terrorism. </p><p>&quot;After the tragedy of 9/11, it was Joe who came to me with a visionary recommendation– start a trilateral anti-terrorism agreement among the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia. It was signed in early 2002. It was more than just a piece of paper. It was a pioneering framework for border security, intelligence sharing, and dialogue in the Celebes and Sulu Seas,&quot; Arroyo said.</p><p>Joining the group of former speakers of the House at the necrological service was Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez who called De Venecia a &quot;visionary&quot; especially in terms of global participation.</p><p>Romualdez said: &quot;Speaker Joe&#x27;s vision did not stop at our shores. He was a global Filipino– a visionary who understood that the Philippines must not only participate in the international community but to help shape it. Long before interfaith dialogue became a global imperative, he was already advocating unity among Christians, Muslims, and believers of all traditions.&quot;</p><p>While tears were shed at the Plenary Hall on Monday, some former members of the House also tried to brighten the atmosphere with personal stories and praises towards the former lawmaker.</p><p>Former House Speaker and ex-Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. said: &quot;He built bridges across the aisle, and across continents, because he understood that the Filipino dream was larger than any quarrel or ambition.&quot;</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1771236450712viber_image_2026-02-16_18-01-36-458.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="The House of Representatives holds a memorial service for former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., February 16, 2026 at the Plenary Hall. Handout/House of Representatives" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The House of Representatives holds a memorial service for former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., February 16, 2026 at the Plenary Hall. <em>Handout/House of Representatives</em></span></span></span></div><p>Former House Majority Leader Neptali &quot;Boyet&quot; Gonzales II, meanwhile, talked about a joke he pulled around De Venecia when they were working together.</p><p>&quot;On a lighter note, isang beses ay tinawag ako ni Speaker Joe sa kanyang opisina para i-brief siya sa mga mahahalagang panukalang batas na tatalakayin na sa plenary. Marami ito kaya ginawa ko &#x27;yung mga materials na &#x27;to ay pinagsama-sama ko sa dalawang expandable envelope… Magkasama kaming lumabas doon sa maliit na kwarto papasok sa kanyang main na kwarto kung saan walo hanggang 10 congressman ang naghihintay sa kanya,&quot; Gonzales said during his eulogy.</p><p>Gonzales continued, &quot;Nakatingin sa &#x27;min but mainly sinisipat &#x27;yung dalawa kong brown envelope. Ganyan kakapal eh. And kilala naman ako ni Speaker Joe na ako&#x27;y mapagbiro, pilyo. Hindi ko matiis dahil &#x27;yung sitwasyon na hindi magbiro. Ang ginawa ko nakatingin sa &#x27;kin mga congressman na &#x27;to, si speaker naman kasunod ko. Tumalikod ako sa kanya. Hinarap ko siya. Sabi ko, hawak hawak ko &#x27;yung aking mga envelope, sabi ko, &#x27;Speaker, maraming, maraming salamat dito.&#x27;... &#x27;Ha!&#x27;-- gumanoon siya.&quot;</p><p>According to Sen. Migz Zubiri, De Venecia saw that genuine change is achievable when people have the courage to step &quot;beyond arbitrary lines.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/11/house-files-resolutions-honoring-legacy-of-former-speaker-jose-de-venecia-1720">READ: House, Senate honor legacy of former Speaker Jose de Venecia</a></div><p>&quot;What a simple but radical mission. In a world that finds comfort in division. Today, it&#x27;s either you&#x27;re on the left, or you&#x27;re on the right, you are liberal, or conservative, red, blue– So divided. He saw that genuine change is only achievable when people have the courage to step beyond arbitrary lines,&quot; Zubiri said.</p><p>Senators, including Zubiri, Sherwin Gatchalian, Loren Legarda, and Camille Villar, also presented to De Venecia&#x27;s family a resolution adopted by the Senate honoring the life and legacy of the five-term House speaker. </p><p>House lawmakers, including Dy and Arroyo, presented &quot;as a lasting symbol of respect&quot; legislative memorabilia to De Venecia&#x27;s family. </p><p>Pangasinan 4th District Representative Ma. Georgina De Venecia gave her response during the memorial service, thanking officials such as the president for bestowing the late former House speaker the honor of burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. </p><p>Tearing up, Representative De Venecia said, &quot;As I stand in this chamber, I cannot help but see him here. I see him standing in the rostrum presiding over sessions with quiet authority. I see him sitting in that chair listening intently then firmly banging his gavel to restore order… This was not just his workplace. This was his battlefield of ideas. This was where he gave the greater part of his life.&quot;</p><p>Aside from the delivery of eulogies, performances from the AFP Band, a video presentation, and Representative De Venecia&#x27;s response, a floral offering was also done during the memorial service for the five-term House speaker.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vd406Q1Dvik?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>A number of former House speakers and members of Congress took part in the memorial service for Jose de Venecia Jr. on Monday.</p>

A number of former House speakers and members of Congress took part in the memorial service for Jose de Venecia Jr. on Monday.

Former speakers, officials pay tribute to De Venecia in House memorial service

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Former speakers, officials pay tribute to De Venecia in House memorial service

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published Feb 16, 2026 06:10 PM PHT

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Jose de Venecia Jr.

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