'No work, no pork' eyed at House

MANILA, Philippines - If there is a no-work, no-pay policy for private sector workers, there should be a no-work, no-pork rule for absentee members of the House of Representatives.

Nueva Ecija Rep. Edno Joson made the suggestion yesterday to curb absenteeism, which has started to afflict congressmen again.

“If pork barrel fund releases of absentees are withheld, maybe they will be forced to attend sessions,” Joson told reporters yesterday.

But he said such threats do not have to be made on lawmakers “since we have to be conscientious in doing our duties, one of which is to attend sessions.”

“The Constitution commands us to be honest and diligent in doing our job,” he said.

Speaker Prospero Nograles, on the other hand, said he could not adopt Joson’s suggestion.

“Projects are the entitlements of the legislative districts and not a personal property of the congressman or woman who merely represents the district,” Nograles said.

“Our only role is to identify projects. We can’t waive the entitlements of our constituents by absenteeism, laziness, tardiness, or the like,” he said.

Joson is one of few House members who make it a point to be present in all sessions and to sit through them until adjournment.

Others include Representatives Roilo Golez of Parañaque City and Carlos Padilla of Nueva Vizcaya, along with some militant party-list members.

In contrast, many of the newly proclaimed party-list representatives have often been absent.

Five of them joined President Arroyo’s visit to the United States late last month until the first week of August after barely warming their seats.

They are Rodante Marcoleta of Alagad; Catalina Leonen-Pizarro of Arts, Business and Science Professionals; Daryl Grace Abayon of Aangat Tayo; Agapito Guanlao of Butil; and Godofredo Arquiza of Senior Citizens.

Guanlao and Arquiza brought along their wives. Marcoleta left with the presidential entourage on his first working day, having taken his oath of office just the night before.

After the 30-member congressional delegation, including Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Lito Lapid, that accompanied Mrs. Arroyo returned on Aug. 5, the House has been mostly on vacation due to lack of quorum.

It mustered a quorum only on Aug. 12 and last Monday. Nograles called his colleagues to a caucus yesterday afternoon to discuss the recurrent problem of absenteeism.

In the past, absentees were threatened with pay and pork barrel fund cuts. There was also a shame campaign plan that called for the publication of the names of absentees in newspapers of national circulation. But none of these materialized.

Among House members believed to have the most number of absences are the President’s favorite congressional companions whenever she travels abroad, including Deputy Speaker Amelita Villarosa and Representatives Martin Romualdez of Leyte, Danilo Suarez of Quezon, Rachel Arenas of Pangasinan, and Hermilando Mandanas of Batangas.

It was Romualdez and Suarez who reportedly paid $35,000 for two expensive dinners Mrs. Arroyo and her large group enjoyed in Washington and New York City during the President’s latest US visit.