Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Representatives of the Philippines

Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Representatives of the Philippines
Tagapamayapa ng Kapulungan ng mga Kinatawan ng Pilipinas
Incumbent Ferdinand Melchor dela Cruz since September 23, 2025
House of Representatives of the Philippines
Style	The Honorable
Seat	Batasang Pambansa Complex, Batasan Hills, Quezon City
Appointer	Elected by the House of Representatives
Salary	₱2,270,000 per year (2023)[1]

The sergeant-at-arms of the House of Representatives of the Philippines (Filipino: Tagapamayapa ng Kapulungan ng mga Kinatawan ng Pilipinas)^[1] is an officer of the Philippine House of Representatives, whose duty is to ensure order within the House of Representatives Building Complex—the seat of the lower chamber of Congress—enforce the rules of the House, and protect the lives of its officers, members, personnel, guests, and the property within its premises. The mace of the House—serving as its symbol of authority—situated at the foot of the speaker’s rostrum during sessions, is also in their custody, acting as the warrant empowering the sergeant-at-arms to enforce order in the floor of the chamber upon the speaker’s directive.

The current sergeant-at-arms of the House is retired Brigadier General Ferdinand Melchor dela Cruz.^[2]

According to Rule VII, Section 20 of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the duties and powers of the sergeant-at-arms are:^[3]

• To attend all sessions of the House unless excused by the Speaker or the Presiding Officer, and personally or through his designee(s), all meetings of the committees;
• To strictly enforce rules relating to admission to the session hall, the galleries, offices, corridors and premises of the House building;
• To ensure that employees under the office of the Sergeant-at-Arms observe proper behavior and faithfully perform their duties;
• To implement orders and serve all processes issued by authority of the House or by the Speaker;
• To secure and maintain order in the session hall, galleries, offices, corridors and premises of the House building during sessions, during the conduct of meetings of committees and during such other proceedings or activities of the House whether or not the House is in session;
• To secure the safety of the Members while in the House premises or in any other place as the Speaker may direct;
• To secure the properties of the House;
• To recommend and implement upon the direction of the Speaker, security management systems, policies and programs that will ensure the maintenance of order in the House and its premises, protect the safety of the Members and employees, visitors and other persons who are within the premises of the House on official business, and the preservation of properties, equipment, facilities, documents and records of the House; and
• To act as custodian of the Mace, which shall be the symbol of authority and shall be borne by the Sergeant-at-Arms while enforcing order on the floor.

Section 21 also states that "the Sergeant-at-Arms shall prepare and submit to the House, through the Speaker, at the end of every fiscal year, a performance report relative to programs and activities relating to the security and maintenance of order in the House."^[4]

Portrait	Name	Term start	Term end	Legislature	Refs.
	Narciso Diokno	May 25, 1946	1949	2nd Commonwealth Congress
				1st Congress	[5]
	Antonio Garcia	1949	1954	2nd Congress
	Narciso Diokno	1954	1962	3rd Congress
				4th Congress
	Simeon Salonga	1962	September 23, 1972	5th Congress
				6th Congress
				7th Congress

Portrait	Name	Term start	Term end	Legislature	Refs.
	Raoul Cauton	June 12, 1978	1979	Interim Batasang Pambansa	[5]
	Anselmo Avenido Jr.	1979	1984
	Cesar Pobre	1984	March 25, 1986	Regular Batasang Pambansa

Portrait	Name	Term start	Term end	Legislature	Refs.
	Serapio Taccad	July 27, 1987	July 27, 1992	8th Congress	[5]
	Bayani Fabic	July 27, 1992	2008	9th Congress
				10th Congress
				11th Congress
				12th Congress
				13th Congress
				14th Congress
	Horacio Lactao	2008	July 26, 2010
	Nicasio Radovan	July 26, 2010	July 25, 2016	15th Congress
				16th Congress
	Roland Detabali	July 25, 2016	July 30, 2018	17th Congress	[6]
	Romeo Prestoza	July 30, 2018	July 22, 2019
	Ramon Apolinario	July 22, 2019	October 12, 2020	18th Congress	[7]
	Mao Aplasca	October 12, 2020	December 6, 2021		[8]
	Rodelio Jocson	December 6, 2021	July 25, 2022		[9]
	Napoleon Taas	July 25, 2022	September 23, 2025	19th Congress	[10]
				20th Congress
	Melchor dela Cruz	September 23, 2025	present		[11]

• Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate of the Philippines