Renee Co | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2025 | |
| Member of thePhilippine House of Representatives forKabataan Partylist | |
| Assumed office June 30, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Raoul Manuel |
| Constituency | Party-list |
| Assistant Minority Floor Leader | |
| Assumed office July 30, 2025 | |
| Leader | Marcelino Libanan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Renee Louise Manda Co (1997-11-03)November 3, 1997 (age 28) |
| Political party | Kabataan(party-list) |
| Other political affiliations | Makabayan |
| Alma mater | University of the Philippines Diliman (BA,JD) |
| Occupation |
|
| Profession | Lawyer |
Renee Louise Manda Co (born November 3, 1997[1]) is a Filipino politician and lawyer who is therepresentative forKabataan Partylist, having been elected in2025.
Born inManila, Co studied political science at theUniversity of the Philippines Diliman, where she was involved with campus journalism and student activism. She pursuedJuris Doctor at theUniversity of the Philippines College of Law and graduated in 2023, passing thePhilippine Bar Examinations the same year. In the2025 Philippine House of Representatives elections, Kabataan named Co as their first nominee to the chamber. The partylist attained enough votes to secure Co a seat in the20th Congress.
Co is a critic of the economic and defense policies pushed by theadministration of PresidentBongbong Marcos and supports theimpeachment of Vice PresidentSara Duterte.
Co's parents areCebuano. She is fromMalabon and graduated from theManila Science High School in 2014.[2][3]
Co pursued higher studies at theUniversity of the Philippines (UP) DilimanCollege of Social Sciences and Philosophy. While studying at UP, she served as editor-in-chief of the college's official publication,Sinag, and was the chairperson of the local chapter of the Kabataan Partylist in UP Diliman and co-convenor of UP Rises Against Tyranny and Dictatorship (UPRISE).[4][5] She graduatedcum laude with a degree in political science in 2018. After her undergraduate studies, she took and finished law at theUP College of Law in 2023. That same year, she passed thePhilippine Bar Examinations.[4]
In January 2021, she was chosen by representatives of student councils from across theUP System to be the 38th Student Regent, succeeding Isaac Punzalan.[5] She denounced the unilateral abrogation of the 1989UP–Department of National Defense Accord and called the decision "one of the [government's] worst attempts at destroying the institutional safeguards that UP students have fought to put in their struggle for their democratic rights.".[6]
Co was chosen as the spokesperson and first nominee of Kabataan Partylist. She previously served as its executive vice president.[7][when?] On October 5, 2024, Kabataan Partylist filed its certificate of nomination and acceptance before theCommission on Elections (COMELEC) with Co as its first nominee, Paolo Echavez as second nominee, and Jpeg Garcia as third nominee.
Co was sworn in as a member of theHouse of Representatives on June 30, 2025. Co stated that one of the first priorities that Kabataan Partylist would push in the next Congress would be a students' rights bill against campus repression, as well as measures againstonline sexual exploitation of children and for mental health concerns among the youth. She also said that the youth agenda is against the prevalence ofpolitical dynasties in the Philippines.[8][9]
Co has criticized Vice PresidentSara Duterte, calling her 'delulu' (slang for delusional) for saying that she is the 'designated survivor' for not attending the2024 State of the Nation Address of PresidentBongbong Marcos, citing her alleged misuse of confidential funds and her family's legacy ofkillings under thewar on drugs.[7] Co has been vocal for theimpeachment of Vice President Duterte because of said budget anomalies and concerns regarding confidential and intelligence funds.[8] She is one of the complainants who signed the second impeachment complaint on December 4, 2024, citing betrayal of public trust.[10][11]
She and her party have also been critical of the Marcos Jr. administration because of policies such as theMaharlika Wealth Fund.[12] Co has also denounced the reimposition of mandatoryReserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), especially with billions of pesos worth of budget cuts for state universities and colleges in the Philippines for 2025 and grave insufficiency for the budget for education. Contrary to mandatory ROTC, she has encouraged the youth to live the ideals and nationalism ofJosé Rizal andAndrés Bonifacio.[13][when?]
Renee Co is not related toAko Bicol partylist representativeZaldy Co. The accusation stems from a viralAI-generated photo that usedGoogle Gemini that featured Zaldy Co and Renee Co hugging.[14]
Media related toRenee Co at Wikimedia Commons