|
Sen. Jamby Madrigal was the most tardy senator at the recently
concluded First Regular Session of the 14th Congress. It is not true
that she was often late because she was busy running after her
inheritance from her late aunt, Doña Chito Madrigal Collantes.
Actually, I do not take seriously her press conferences and press
statements about the court case she had filed seeking her inclusion
among the heirs of Doña Chito. It might just be a media hype to
drum up interest in her reported upcoming movie “Mana Ko.”
___
A senator is late if he or she appears after the
roll call. This is duly recorded in the journal of the session and I
have no beef with such notations. However, I do question why there
is no notation for senators who disappear after the roll call. Some
senators answer the roll call, and then disappear for places
unknown. Thus, only a sprinkling of senators are left on the floor
before the session adjourns. Fair is fair. Senators who disappear
after the roll call should also be identified in the journal.
___
Eleven senators led by Senate President Manuel
Villar chalked up perfect attendance in the plenary sessions of the
First Regular Session from July 23, 2007, to June 11, 2008. The
other senators were Edgardo Angara, Benigno Aquino 3rd, Joker
Arroyo, Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, Gregorio Honasan,
Panfilo Lacson, Francis Pangilinan, Aquilino Pimentel Jr., and Juan
Miguel Zubiri.
Among those with perfect attendance, Aquino,
Estrada, Lacson and Villar were never late. Lacson was usually the
first to arrive at the session hall. Villar is never late for the
simple reason that he is the presiding officer. A session starts
only after his arrival so only those who come after he has banged
the gavel are considered late. The session is supposed to start at 3
p.m. Villar may bang the gavel at 3:30 p.m. or 4 p.m. and still, he
is not considered late. Unfair? Oh well, rank has its privileges,
you know.
Senators are considered present when they are on
official mission whether in the Philippines or abroad. Thus, Angara
had a perfect attendance even if he was on official mission during
27 session days. I have no objections to foreign trips of senators,
especially when they are in fulfillment of international
commitments, but more so when they have only one-way tickets.
___
I may be a wet blanket but I am not in favor of
forcing all senators to attend all sessions. In fact, I believe that
some senators would be of better service to the nation by being away
from sessions. While in attendance, one never knows what mischief
they might do.
What’s more, I am seldom impressed by the
record of attendance. For instance, whenever a session is merely
suspended, there will be no roll call the following day. Thus, a
session day may last even up to four calendar days, or as long as
the session is not adjourned.
I am also aware of an oddity in the Third
Regular Session of the 10th Congress. Then Rep. Romeo Jalosjos of
Zamboanga del Norte was recorded as being present in 45 of 61
session days. The journal notation on Jalosjos indicated that he was
“absent with notice” in 14 session days and “absent without
notice” in two session days.
There seemed to be nothing odd in this record of
attendance until one remembered that Jalosjos had been in jail since
the start of the Third Regular Session on a nonbailable charge of
raping a minor. He never attended a single session but he still got
credited with being present in 45 session days.
But for the ultimate oddity, nothing beats that
one involving the late Datu Joseph Sibug in the Eighth Congress.
Sibug, a sectoral representative of cultural communities, was
recorded as present in one session. Some of his colleagues even
swore that they were talking with him before the session started.
And yet, Sibug could not have been present, much less talk to other
congressmen because the morning before the session, he had been
rushed to the Heart Center because of a heart attack. He was gasping
his last breath when the session started. The colleagues he had
talked with before the session started were either incredulous or
badly shaken when news of his death reached them on the floor.
efrendanao2003@yahoo.com
|
