Bem Noel

In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Garcia and the surname or paternal family name is Noel.

Bem Noel
Official portrait, 2023
Member of the Philippine House of Representatives for An Waray
In office June 30, 2004 – June 30, 2013
In office June 30, 2019 – September 27, 2023
Personal details
Born	Florencio Gabriel Garcia Noel (1966-06-17) June 17, 1966 (age 58) Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines
Political party	NPC[1] (2024-present)
Other political affiliations	An Waray (party-list, 2004-2013, 2018-2023) Independent (2013-2018)
Spouse	Josephine Veronique Lacson
Children	3

Florencio Gabriel "Bem" Garcia Noel[2] (born June 17, 1966)[3] is a Filipino politician who served as representative of the An Waray party-list in the House of Representatives.

Career

First An Waray stint

Noel first served in the House of Representatives as the party-list representative of An Waray from 2004 to 2013.[4] An Waray first got involved in the lower house's partylist system in 2004.[5]

Tacloban mayor bid

With Noel limited by the three-term consecutive term in the Congress,[4] he ran for mayor in his hometown of Tacloban for the 2013 election.[6] He lost to incumbent mayor Alfred Romualdez.[7][8]

PCSO

In December 2014, Noel was appointed as director of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office by President Benigno Aquino III. He resigned from his position on September 15, 2015 due to expressing open support for the presidential campaign of Grace Poe for the 2016 election, instead of Aquino's preferred candidate Mar Roxas.[9]

Second An Waray stint

In 2018, Noel announced his intent to return to the Congress as An Waray's representative once again.[10] He filled in the lone seat An Waray was able to win in the 2019 election.[11] He retained his role for the 2022 election.[12]

Noel lost his seat on September 27, 2023, after the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) cancelled the registration of An Waray over alleged infractions against the party-list law.[13][14] This was due to his sister Victoria assuming the role of An Waray's second representative for the 16th Congress in 2013 without a proclamation from the COMELEC.[13]

Malabon congressional bid

On October 5, 2024, Noel filed his certificate of candidacy for representative of the lone district of Malabon City under the Nationalist People's Coalition.[1]

Personal life

Noel is married to Josephine Veronique Lacson, who is an incumbent member of the House of Representatives representing Malabon, with thom they have three children.[6][15][16] Their son Nino is an incumbent city councilor of Malabon.[17] His sister Victoria Noel also served as an An Waray representative.[18] Noel was born in Tacloban.[6]

See also

• List of Philippines representatives expelled, removed, or suspended

References

1. Cabato, Luisa (October 5, 2024). "Former An Waray Rep. Noel files COC for Malabon Congress seat". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
2. "House Members: Hon. Noel, Florencio Gabriel "Bem" G." House of Representatives (Philippines). Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
3. "Noel Florencio Gabriel Garcia" (PDF). Commission on Elections. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
4. "Internal An Waray rumblings give rise to rival party-list group in Samar-Leyte". Politiko Visayas. April 2, 2016. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
5. Abella, Lizbeth Ann (October 12, 2021). "An Waray eyes at least 1.5 million votes to secure 3 congressional seats". Leyte Samar Daily News. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
6. "Rep. Noel running for Tacloban City mayor". The Philippine Star. October 4, 2012. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
7. "2013 City or Municipality Election Results - Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)". Open Data Philippines. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
8. Jimenea, Lalaine (May 15, 2013). "Romualdez gets another mandate as Tacloban mayor". The Philippine Star. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
9. Go, Miriam Grace (September 18, 2015). "Aquino appointee quits PCSO to support Grace Poe". Rappler. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
10. Tatoy, Jake (October 3, 2018). "Bem Noel, madalagan pagka-Congressman han An Waray Party-list - RMN Networks". RMN Networks (in Waray). Retrieved October 21, 2023.
11. Gabieta, Joey (October 10, 2021). "Nothing wrong with having celebrities as nominees or endorsers, says party-list". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
12. "Leyte's new provincial officials take oath". Philippine Information Agency. July 6, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
13. Leon, Dwight de (September 27, 2023). "House unseats An Waray lawmaker Bem Noel after losing election case". Rappler. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
14. Porcalla, Delon (September 28, 2023). "An Waray party-list unseated". The Philippine Star. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
15. Cruz, RG (September 22, 2011). "Lawmaker speaks on spat with wife over RH bill". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
16. Porcalla, Delon (June 29, 2022). "Husband-wife, parents-children dynasties dot 19th Congress". The Philippine Star. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
17. "Jaye Lacson-Noel honors the 'Fathers' in her life in recent post". Politiko Metro Manila. June 19, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
18. De Leon, Dwight (August 14, 2023). "Comelec upholds cancellation of An Waray's registration". Rappler. Retrieved October 21, 2023.