Rolando Andaya Jr.


Rolando "Nonoy" Gutierrez Andaya Jr. is a Filipino lawyer and politician who represented the 1st District of Camarines Sur from 1998 to 2006 and again from 2010 to 2019. He also served as the 32nd Majority Floor Leader of the House of Representatives of the Philippines and the 9th Secretary of Budget and Management.

Early life and education

Born Rolando Aureo Gutierrez Andaya, Jr. on March 10, 1969, in Manila, he is the son of former Congressman Rolando Andaya Sr. and Rita Gutierrez. He is the older brother of Maribel Andaya-Eusebio, mayor of Pasig from 2013 to 2016 and wife of Robert "Bobby" Eusebio.
In 1991, he graduated with a degree in Business and Economics, major in Legal Management from De La Salle University in Manila, and in 1995 graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from Ateneo de Manila University.

Political career

Andaya was the Representative of the 1st District of Camarines Sur from 1998 to 2006 during the 11th, 12th and 13th Congress. His term in the 13th Congress was cut short in February 2006 because of his appointment as Secretary of Budget and Management by then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He served in that position until his resignation on February 2010 to run again as a congressman. On June 30, 2010 he was sworn-in as the representative of the 1st District of Camarines Sur during the 15th Congress. He ran again successfully in the succeeding House elections of 2013 and 2016, serving uninterrupted as a congressman until 2019, after which his wife took over until her untimely death in July 2020.
In August 2016, during his time in the 17th Congress, he was appointed Deputy Speaker of the House for Bicol. In July 2018, following the ouster of Pantaleon Alvarez as House Speaker, he was then elected Majority Floor Leader of the House to replace Rodolfo Fariñas. In January 2019, he stepped down as Majority Floor Leader to chair the House Committee on Appropriations. He served until June 30, 2019.
He ran for Governor of Camarines Sur in 2019 but lost to incumbent Miguel Luis Villafuerte.

Controversies

On December 2017, the Office of the Ombudsman charged Andaya, along with convicted plunderer Janet Lim-Napoles and former Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman, with 97 counts of graft and malversation before the Sandiganbayan for his alleged involvement in the Malampaya fund scam during his time as budget secretary. Andaya's alleged role in the scam was his signing of the Special Allotment Release Order which was “fraught with irregularities constituting badges of fraud". On March 2019, the Sandigabayan denied Andaya's appeal to dismiss the charges against him. On July, he refused to enter plea during his arraignment which prompted the court to enter a not-guilty plea for him.

Personal life

Andaya was married to congresswoman Marissa Mercado-Andaya until her death in July 5, 2020 from cancer. They had two children, Rolando Andaya IV and Katrina Andaya.