Cutie attends all House sessions in 2011

CEBU, Philippines - Among Cebuano lawmakers, only Cebu City North District Rep. Rachel Marguerite del Mar posted a perfect attendance in the 59 sessions of the House of Representatives last year.

Other lawmakers though were deemed present pursuant to section 70 of Congress’ House Rules even if they were not actually present in the sessions.

Section 70 of the House Rules of the 15th Congress says that the following are deemed present: members who are attending committee meetings as authorized by the committee on rules, in accordance with Section 35 hereof, upon written notification to the Secretary-General by concerned committee secretary; members who are attending meetings of the Commission on Appointments; members who are attending meetings of the House Electoral Tribunal; members who are attending meetings of the bicameral conference; and members who are on official mission as approved by the Speaker.

Record of sessions actually attended by other Cebuano lawmakers showed that Rep. Eduardo Gullas (1st district) attended 56 sessions; Rep. Pablo Garcia (2nd district) attended 56; Rep. Pablo John Garcia (3rd district) attended 43; Rep. Benhur Salimbangon (4th district) attended 53; Rep. Ramon Durano VI (5th) attended 52; and Rep. Gabriel Luis Quisumbing (6th district) attended 58; Lapu-Lapu City Rep. Arturo Radaza attended 45; and Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south district) attended 41 sessions.

Other Cebuano lawmakers, Rep. Pastor Alcover, Jr. of Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy (Anad) Partylist and Rep. Raymond Democrito of Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) Partylist attended 48 and has 43 sessions, respectively.

There are 285 members of the House of Representatives. Last year, 59 session days were held from January 17 to December 15, 2011.

Record showed further that Dinagat Island Rep. Ruben Ecleo, world boxing idol and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao and three members of the Arroyo clan topped the list of lawmakers that incurred the most number of absences.

Ecleo, who has a standing warrant of arrest issued in February last year by the Sandiganbayan for a graft case, had the most absences. He attended only eight sessions.

Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio Arroyo ranked third with 33 absences. He is reportedly on medical leave in London for a liver ailment.

Pacquiao ranked fourth with 32 absences without official notices. Most of his absences were reportedly due to his boxing bouts abroad.

Ang Galing Pinoy party-list Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo was absent for 26 session days while his mother, former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, attended only 35 session days last year or incurring 24 absences.

Mrs. Arroyo, however, filed formal notices of absence due to medical reasons. She posted perfect attendance prior to undergoing three surgeries on her neck to correct misaligned cervical spine in July and August last year.

She has not yet fully recovered from her ailment and is currently detained at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City for alleged electoral sabotage. (FREEMAN)