Bem Noel

{{Short description|Filipino politician}} {{Philippine name|Garcia|Noel}} {{use mdy dates|date=November 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Bem Noel | image = Rep. Florencio Gabriel G. Noel (19th Congress).jpg | image_size = | caption = Official portrait, 2023 | office = Member of the<br>Philippine House of Representatives <br>for An Waray | term_start = June 30, 2004 | term_end = June 30, 2013 | predecessor = | successor = | term_start1 = June 30, 2019 | term_end1 = September 27, 2023 | predecessor1 = | successor1 = | birth_name = Florencio Gabriel Garcia Noel | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|6|17}} | birth_place = Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines | death_date = | death_place = | party = NPC<ref name="INQ">{{Cite web|url=https://www.inquirer.net/415697/former-an-waray-rep-noel-files-coc-for-malabon-congress-seat/|title=Former An Waray Rep. Noel files COC for Malabon Congress seat|author=Cabato, Luisa|date=October 5, 2024|accessdate=November 16, 2024|website=Philippine Daily Inquirer}}</ref> {{small|(2024–present)}} | other_party = An Waray {{small|(party-list, 2004–2013, 2018–2023)}}<br>Independent {{small|(2013–2018)}} | parents = | spouse = Josephine Veronique Lacson | relations = | occupation = | profession = | salary = | portfolio = | partner = | children = 3 | alma_mater = | education = | signature = | website = }} '''Florencio Gabriel "Bem" Garcia Noel'''<ref>{{cite web |title=House Members: Hon. Noel, Florencio Gabriel "Bem" G. |url=https://www.congress.gov.ph/members/search.php?id=noel-f |publisher=House of Representatives (Philippines) |access-date=21 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230711133246/https://www.congress.gov.ph/members/search.php?id=noel-f |archive-date=11 July 2023}}</ref> (born June 17, 1966)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://comelec.gov.ph/php-tpls-attachments/2025NLE/COC_2025NLE/COC_Local/COC_Local_NCR/COC_Local_NCR_MALABON/Noel%20Florencio%20Gabriel%20Garcia.pdf|title=Noel Florencio Gabriel Garcia|website=Commission on Elections|accessdate=November 21, 2024}}</ref> 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.<ref name=politiko-visayas>{{cite news |title=Internal An Waray rumblings give rise to rival party-list group in Samar-Leyte|url=https://visayas.politics.com.ph/internal-an-waray-rumblings-give-rise-to-rival-party-list-group-in-samar-leyte/ |access-date=21 October 2023 |work=Politiko Visayas |date=2 April 2016}}</ref> An Waray first got involved in the lower house's partylist system in 2004.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Abella |first1=Lizbeth Ann |title=An Waray eyes at least 1.5 million votes to secure 3 congressional seats |url=https://www.leytesamardailynews.com/an-waray-eyes-at-least-1-5-million-votes-to-secure-3-congressional-seats/ |access-date=21 October 2023 |work=Leyte Samar Daily News |date=12 October 2021}}</ref>

===Tacloban mayoral bid=== With Noel limited by the three-term consecutive term in the Congress,<ref name=politiko-visayas/> he ran for mayor in his hometown of Tacloban for the 2013 election.<ref name="tacloban">{{cite news |title=Rep. Noel running for Tacloban City mayor |url=https://www.philstar.com/region/2012/10/04/855940/rep-noel-running-tacloban-city-mayor |access-date=21 October 2023 |work=The Philippine Star |date=4 October 2012}}</ref> He lost to incumbent mayor Alfred Romualdez.<ref>{{cite web |title=2013 City or Municipality Election Results - Region VIII (Eastern Visayas) |url=https://data.gov.ph/?q=dataset/2013-city-or-municipality-election-results/resource/276086e4-0a25-41d9-8d49-44ff9bd9155b |website=Open Data Philippines |access-date=21 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008011620/https://data.gov.ph/?q=dataset/2013-city-or-municipality-election-results/resource/276086e4-0a25-41d9-8d49-44ff9bd9155b|archive-date=8 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Jimenea |first1=Lalaine |title=Romualdez gets another mandate as Tacloban mayor |url=https://www.philstar.com/nation/2013/05/15/942164/romualdez-gets-another-mandate-tacloban-mayor |access-date=21 October 2023 |work=The Philippine Star |date=15 May 2013}}</ref>

===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.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Go |first1=Miriam Grace |title=Aquino appointee quits PCSO to support Grace Poe |url=https://www.rappler.com/philippines/elections/106351-bem-noel-pcso-support-grace-poe/ |access-date=21 October 2023 |work=Rappler |date=18 September 2015}}</ref>

===Second An Waray stint=== In 2018, Noel announced his intent to return to the Congress as An Waray's representative once again.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tatoy |first1=Jake |title=Bem Noel, madalagan pagka-Congressman han An Waray Party-list - RMN Networks |url=https://rmn.ph/bem-noel-madalagan-pagka-congressman-han-an-waray-part-list/ |access-date=21 October 2023 |work=RMN Networks |date=3 October 2018 |language=war}}</ref> He filled in the lone seat An Waray was able to win in the 2019 election.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gabieta |first1=Joey |title=Nothing wrong with having celebrities as nominees or endorsers, says party-list |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1499942/nothing-wrong-with-having-celebrities-as-nominees-or-endorsers-says-party-list |access-date=21 October 2023 |work=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=10 October 2021 |language=en}}</ref> He retained his role for the 2022 election.<ref>{{cite news |title=Leyte's new provincial officials take oath |url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/2022/07/06/leytes-new-provincial-officials-take-oath |access-date=21 October 2023 |agency=Philippine Information Agency |date=6 July 2022}}</ref>

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.<ref name=rapple-unseats/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Porcalla |first1=Delon |title=An Waray party-list unseated |url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/09/28/2299515/waray-party-list-unseated |access-date=21 October 2023 |work=The Philippine Star |date=28 September 2023}}</ref> 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.<ref name=rapple-unseats>{{cite news |last1=Leon |first1=Dwight de |title=House unseats An Waray lawmaker Bem Noel after losing election case |url=https://www.rappler.com/philippines/house-representatives-unseats-florencio-bem-noel-an-waray-party-list-september-2023/ |access-date=21 October 2023 |work=Rappler |date=27 September 2023}}</ref>

===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.<ref name="INQ" /> Noel lost in the election on May 12, 2025, finishing a distant third behind fellow ex-congressman Federico "Ricky" Sandoval II and the eventual winner, former mayor Antolin "Lenlen" Aquino Oreta III.<ref>{{cite web |title=RESULTS: Malabon City, Metro Manila election 2025 |url=https://ph.rappler.com/elections/2025/local-race/ncr-malabon-city |website=Rappler}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Malabon voters re-elect Jeannie Sandoval as mayor |url=https://www.philstar.com/nation/2025/05/13/2442795/malabon-voters-re-elect-jeannie-sandoval-mayor |access-date=15 May 2025 |publisher=Philstar |date=May 13, 2025}}</ref>

==Personal life== Noel is married to Josephine Veronique Lacson, who was a member of the House of Representatives representing Malabon, with thom they have three children.<ref name="tacloban"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Cruz |first1=RG |title=Lawmaker speaks on spat with wife over RH bill |url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/09/22/11/lawmaker-speaks-spat-wife-over-rh-bill |access-date=21 October 2023 |work=ABS-CBN News |date=22 September 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Porcalla |first1=Delon |title=Husband-wife, parents-children dynasties dot 19th Congress |url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/06/29/2191670/husband-wife-parents-children-dynasties-dot-19th-congress |access-date=21 October 2023 |work=The Philippine Star |date=29 June 2022}}</ref> Their son Regino Federico "Nino" Noel was a city councilor of Malabon.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://metromanila.politiko.com.ph/2023/06/19/jaye-lacson-noel-honors-the-fathers-in-her-life-in-recent-post/|title=Jaye Lacson-Noel honors the 'Fathers' in her life in recent post|date=June 19, 2023|accessdate=March 22, 2024|website=Politiko Metro Manila}}</ref> His sister Victoria Noel also served as an An Waray representative.<ref>{{cite news |last1=De Leon |first1=Dwight |title=Comelec upholds cancellation of An Waray's registration |url=https://www.rappler.com/philippines/comelec-upholds-cancellation-an-waray-registration-denies-motion-reconsideration/ |access-date=21 October 2023 |work=Rappler |date=14 August 2023}}</ref> Noel was born in Tacloban.<ref name="tacloban"/>

==Electoral history== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; text-align:center;" |+ Electoral history of Bem Noel ! rowspan="2" style="background:#eaecf0;" |Year ! rowspan="2" style="background:#eaecf0;" |Office ! colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="background:#eaecf0;" |Party ! colspan="4" style="background:#eaecf0;" |Votes received ! rowspan="2" style="background:#eaecf0;" |Result |- ! style="background:#eaecf0;" |Total ! style="background:#eaecf0;" | % ! style="background:#eaecf0;" |{{abbr|2=Position|P}}. ! style="background:#eaecf0;" |Swing |- !2004 | rowspan="6"|Representative (Party-list) | rowspan="6" style="background:{{party color|An Waray}};" | | rowspan="6"|An Waray |268,164 |2.11% |16th | {{n/a}} | {{Won}} |- !2007 |321,516 |2.10% |17th | -0.01 | {{Won}} |- !2010 |712,405 |2.37% |10th | +0.27 | {{Won}} |- !2016 |590,895 |1.82% |16th | -0.55 | {{Won}} |- !2019 |442,090 |1.59% |13th | -0.23 | {{Won}} |- !2022 |385,460 |1.05% |56th | -0.54 | {{Won}}{{efn|Won re-election, but later removed from office after the Supreme Court affirmed the COMELEC's decision to cancel An Waray's registration in September 2024.}} |- !2025 | Representative (Malabon) | style="background:{{party color|Nationalist People's Coalition}};" | | NPC |20,578 |11.07% |3rd | {{n/a}} | {{Lost}} |- !2013 | Mayor of Tacloban | style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}};" | | IND |45,307 |49.16% |2nd | {{n/a}} | {{Lost}} |}

==References== {{reflist}}

==Notes== {{notelist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Noel, Bem}} Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century Filipino politicians Category:Party-list members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines Category:Nationalist People's Coalition politicians Category:Removed members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines Category:People from Malabon Category:People from Tacloban Category:Politicians from Metro Manila