Roll call: Which senators recorded perfect attendance during the 15th Congress?

First in a 2-part series

Less than two months before the May 13 polls, voters are aggressively being wooed by 33 hopefuls gunning for 12 available Senate seats.  

Attendance

 

There were a total of 212 session days during the 15th Congress. The first regular session (which ran from July 26, 2010 to June 8, 2011) had 94 days; the second regular session (July 25, 2011 to June 6, 2012) had 64. and the third regular session (July 23, 2012 to February 6, 2013) had 54.

 

Data culled by GMA News Online showed that Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago incurred the most absences among the 23 senators (the 24th would have been President Benigno Aquino III, whose six-year term at the Senate was cut short when he won in 2010). Santiago had 105 absences, of which 103 were reportedly due to sickness. "Well, I am a very sickly person," she has said, when asked how she would assess her performance during the 15th Congress given her many absences.

 

"I'm not aware of any civil service regulation that makes it a crime for a person to be sick.  Is that a crime?" she added.

 

Santiago has cited complications from hypertension, hypothyroidism, and chronic fatigue syndrome among her ailments. She also said that she is in danger of getting a stroke anytime.

 

"If the charge against me is that I have gotten sick over my job, I plead guilty," she said.

 

Santiago is expected to leave her Senate seat soon to serve as a judge in the International Criminal Court.  

 

* Zubiri was able to attend only four session days during the second regular session. He resigned on August 3, 2011 due to mounting allegations of poll fraud during the 2007 polls. Pimentel, who had filed an electoral protest against Zubiri, replaced him and started attending sessions on August 8, 2011.

 

Next to Santiago is Lacson who had 80 absences, 79 of which were recorded during the time he was evading arrest for his alleged involvement in the 2000 killing of publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito.

 

Lacson returned to the country in March 2011 after the Court of Appeals ordered with finality the nullification of the arrest warrants against him.

 

Lacson's term will be expiring this coming May but President Benigno Aquino III has said that a post will be awaiting him and another graduating senator, Francis Pangilinan.

 

Following Lacson is re-electionist Trillanes, who recorded 69 absences. Trillanes was unable to attend 49 Senate sessions while in detention for rebellion charges over the 2003 Oakwood mutiny and 2007 Manila Peninsula siege. Trillanes was released in December 2010.

 

A former Navy officer, Trillanes said his absences do not necessarily mean he was not able to perform his job well.

 

"Ang sa akin kasi, yung attendance does translate to or equate to productivity. I legislated, I fiscalized and I advocated issues of national concern, yun ang trabaho," he told GMA News Online.

 

"Kasi even if present ako diyan everyday sa session kung wala kong output, ano mas gugustuhin ng taong bayan?" he added.

 

Only two senators were able to attend all 212 session days in the 15th Congress — Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada and Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente Sotto III.   Arroyo had no absences as well, but he was on official mission for three days.

 

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile was absent for just one day due to an illness. His former aide, Honasan, had the same record but was on official mission for three days. — Interactive graph by Wayne Manuel/RSJ/YA, GMA News Next: Legislative record of the Senators in the 15th Congress