By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Sandro Marcos has risen from congressional staffer to one of the House of Representatives’ most influential leaders in just five years.
Marcos now serves as House majority leader and chairman of the Committee on Rules, putting him at the center of the chamber’s legislative operations in the 20th Congress.
His congressional career began in 2020 as a staff member in the office of his uncle, Martin Romualdez, who was then House majority leader. Marcos spent two years there, gaining experience in the workings of Congress before entering electoral politics.
In 2022, he won the first district congressional race in Ilocos Norte, defeating incumbent Representative Ria Fariñas.
His move into House leadership came almost immediately.
On July 26, 2022, Marcos was elected senior deputy majority leader under then-Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe. He also became a member of the House Committee on Rules, which handles matters involving chamber rules, the legislative calendar and the referral of bills and resolutions.
During his first term, Marcos co-filed measures covering government programs, economic policy, education and nutrition. Among them was the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund, which was later approved by the House.
He won reelection in 2025, again representing Ilocos Norte’s first district.
His second term brought a major elevation.
On July 28, 2025, at the opening of the 20th Congress, Marcos was unanimously elected House majority leader and assumed the chairmanship of the Committee on Rules.
As majority leader, he serves as spokesman for the House majority and plays a central role in coordinating floor proceedings and advancing legislative priorities.
During the first regular session of the 20th Congress, the House approved 26 of 52 priority bills identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council, or LEDAC.
Marcos said the chamber would continue working on the remaining priority measures in the succeeding session.
His rise has taken him from learning Congress from behind the scenes to helping direct its legislative agenda—moving from staff work in 2020 to a top House leadership post five years later.
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