Prior to dipping his feet on the local political scene, Fongwan worked at the Benguet Provincial Auditor's Office. In 1988, he ran and won as a councilor in La Trinidad. He went on to serve as vice-mayor, mayor, governor, then congressman. He was known among his friends, colleagues, and supporters as the "Action Man", a moniker that stuck with him through the years.
At the time of his passing, Fongwan was serving as vice-chair in three committees in Congress: Agrarian Reform, Natural Resources, and Indigenous Cultural Communities and Indigenous Peoples. He was the principal author in twenty-one (21) House measures and co-author in thirteen (13) House measures.
Here's what the "Rules of the House of Representatives" say about the process of filling up a vacancy in Congress that was opened due to a member's untimely death:
"In case a Member dies, resigns, is permanently incapacitated or lawfully barred from performing the duties of a Member, or is lawfully removed from office, vacancies may be filled as follows: (a) for vacancies in the representation of legislative districts, special elections may be called to fill the vacancies; and (b) for vacancies in the representation of party-lists, party-list representatives may be chosen to fill the vacancies in the manner provided by law. A Member elected or designated to fill a vacancy shall serve only for the duration of the unexpired term."
