Rep. Aponte Rosario resigns under cloud of domestic abuse allegations
By The Star Staff
Popular Democratic Party (PDP) Rep. Orlando Aponte Rosario announced Tuesday that he will resign from his seat in the island House of Representatives, effective July 1.
Aponte Rosario has been in the public eye for several months for allegations of gender violence involving his wife.
In a radio interview the freshman lawmaker said he is in the process of getting a divorce and is seeking the well being of his children.
The District 26 (Villalba, Barranquitas, Orocovis and Coamo) representative communicated his decision to resign in a letter to Speaker of the House Rafael “Tatito” Hernández Montañez, a copy of which was delivered to the media moments before the beginning of a meeting to which the chamber leader had summoned Aponte Rosario.
“This morning, after an honest dialogue, the representative for District 26, Orlando Aponte Rosario, officially handed me the letter of resignation from his legislative seat,” Hernández Montañez said. “This is a very regrettable situation, however, we respect the comrade’s decision to put his family’s privacy first and safeguard the image of this legislative body, while attending to his personal situation.”
The House speaker said in a press release that the situation had been addressed with due diligence from day one and that they followed all the corresponding ethical processes, which were duly reported to the public. Likewise, he highlighted the legislative work of Aponte Rosario, indicating that “during his incumbency as legislator he performed well and achieved the signing of important laws.”
PDP President Jesús Manuel Ortiz González said Aponte Rosario’s resignation was the right decision.
“Now he can focus on his efforts on addressing the process he and his family are going through while the PDP continues its work to address the problems that Puerto Rico is experiencing,” Ortiz González said in a statement. “Aware of the urgency with which we must address this issue for the Party and for the PDP delegation in the House of Representatives, we will be preparing the election process to choose his replacement in an agile and responsible manner. I appreciate the availability of comrade Orlando Aponte to work for the PDP and for his 26th district.”