Commendations for graduating senators sent to archives

MANILA, Philippines - The traditional commendations for  graduating senators were not delivered at the end of the 15th Congress.

Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III had prepared four of the five resolutions when the Senate held its last two session days two weeks ago.

All the resolutions expressing the gratitude and appreciation of the Senate to the five senators whose terms ended with the close of the 15th Congress were filed before the last plenary sessions.

Since they were not delivered, these were automatically sent to the archives.

Based on tradition, the majority leader sponsors the resolutions as a tribute to the graduating senators on the last session day.

Due to several factors, including the surprise resignation of Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile as Senate president, the long lineup of bills in the agenda, and the absence of a significant number of senators, the resolutions never made it in the plenary.

A check on the website of the Senate revealed that Sotto filed Resolutions 953, 955, 956 and 957 to commend Senators Manuel Villar Jr., Edgardo Angara, Joker Arroyo and Panfilo Lacson.

Senate Resolution 954 commending Sen. Francis Pangilinan was filed by his Liberal Party mate, Sen. Teofisto Guingona III.

Of the five senators, only Villar and Angara delivered farewell speeches as the three others chose to do away with tradition.

While the tributes were not delivered, the resolutions remain on record in the archives of the Senate and excerpts of these are presented in recognition of the accomplishments of the five senators.

Villar holds the distinction of being the only Filipino since World War II to become both speaker of the House of Representatives and Senate president.

“As head of the Upper Chamber at a time when influential sectors and powerful government institutions were moving to abolish the Senate through schemes such as People’s Initiative to establish a unicameral legislature, he opposed and resisted such efforts and asserted the need for an independent Senate in a democratic system (sic) exercise of checks and balances,” Sotto said in his resolution for Villar.

During his stint as Senate president, Villar steered the Senate into passing several vital laws, including the Biofuels Act; amending the Automated Elections Act; the Human Security Act; amending the Urban Development and Housing Act; the Hospital Detention Law; Strengthening the Regulatory Functions of the POEA; the Revised Fire Code, the law governing the operations and regulation of lending companies; the Anti Red Tape Act; the charter of the University of the Philippines; and the Magna Carta of Women.

“In recognition of the Senate’s overall performance under his leadership, the Senate gained the trust and confidence of the Filipino people as shown by the high satisfaction rating it received during his tenure, earning for him the distinction of the most trusted public official,” the resolution said.

Arroyo was recognized as a staunch human rights advocate, freedom fighter and a firm believer in the rule of law both as a practicing lawyer and as a legislator in both houses of Congress.

When he was chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, Arroyo spearheaded the investigations into the Commission on Elections’ modernization that led to the revelation of the anomalous transaction between the poll body and the Mega Pacific Consortium.

“His deep concern for the protection of the basic rights of citizens was evident when he strongly pushed for the repeal of the death penalty law and the enactment of what is now the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act,” Sotto said in his resolution.