A first-term party-list lawmaker has stepped down from Congress, saying the demands of health and family now outweigh his stay in public office.
Nathaniel Oducado, representative of 1Tahanan Party-list, confirmed his resignation in a statement posted on Facebook Tuesday, days after the House of Representatives formally acknowledged his departure during plenary session.
In his message, Oducado said public service should never be treated as a permanent entitlement and that there comes a point when stepping aside becomes the more responsible decision.
“I have always believed that public service is a privilege, not a permanent station to which one is entitled to,” he wrote.
The outgoing congressman said his decision was driven mainly by personal concerns involving his health and family, especially his children who are growing up..
“For personal reasons, chief among them my health and my family, I formally tendered my resignation from Congress,” he said.
Oducado’s resignation was announced alongside that of Franz Vincent Legazpi of the Pinoy Workers Party-list during Monday night’s plenary session.
Despite leaving his post, Oducado expressed confidence that the advocacies of 1Tahanan would continue under new leadership.
“I trust that whoever takes my place will carry forward the same commitment that brought 1Tahanan to Congress in the first place,” he said.
When asked who will take his place during a brief interview with the media, Oducado said it will be up to the party-list to decide who will be his replacement. They will be the ones to decide who will be the most suitable replacement, he explained.
The lawmaker also reflected on his brief stint in Congress, saying he hoped their group was able to prove that ordinary Filipinos could serve with integrity even without political influence or wealth.
“I hope that in these less than 10 months, we were able to show that it is possible for an ordinary person to serve and to lead with integrity,” he added.
Oducado also thanked supporters, staff members, and volunteers who backed the party-list group’s campaign and legislative work, recalling how the organization started from near the bottom of pre-election surveys before eventually securing a seat in Congress.
“What we accomplished together is a testament to what ordinary people can do when they refuse to give up,” he said.