Belmonte, 45 others post perfect House attendance

MANILA, Philippines – Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. led 46 lawmakers in attending all 46 sessions of the House of Representatives during the five-month period that Congress was in session last year.

House records show that the top absentee was Ilocos Sur Rep. Ronald Singson, who was detained and is on trial in Hong Kong on drug trafficking charges. He has reportedly offered to plead to a lesser offense in return for a lighter sentence.

Singson, who was arrested by Hong Kong authorities before Congress convened on June 26, 2010, did not attend a single House session.

Besides Belmonte, those with perfect attendance included Minority Leader Edcel Lagman as well as Reps. Florencio Noel and Neil Benedict Montejo of An Waray, Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar, Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City, Eleandro Madrona of Romblon, Roilo Golez of Parañaque, Rodolfo Albano of Isabela, Salvador Escudero lll of Sorsogon, and Diosdado Arroyo of Camarines Sur.

Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo attended 34 sessions.

Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales ll and Reps. Jaye Lacson-Noel of Malabon, Juan Edgardo Angara of Aurora, Joseph Victor Ejercito of San Juan, and Imelda Romualdez-Marcos of Ilocos Norte had a near-perfect attendance, missing only one session.

Reps. Lucy Torres of Leyte and Lani Mercardo-Revilla of Cavite attended 41 sessions, while another Leyte lawmaker, Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, was present in 40.

Boxing champion and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao showed up in 33 sessions, while Pangasinan Rep. Gina de Venecia attended 36 sessions.

The other top absentees were Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio del Rosario, who is said to be sick and who missed 43 sessions; Laguna Rep. Maria Evita Arago, who had 30 absences due to her delicate pregnancy; Western Samar Rep. Milagros Tan, 28 absences; and Cagayan Rep. Juan “Jack” Ponce-Enrile Jr., 27 absences.

Reps. Narciso Bravo Jr. (Masbate), Joel Roy Duavit (Rizal), Scott Davies Lanete (Masbate), Carmelo Lazatin (Pampanga), and Jeffrey Ferrer (Negros Occidental) had 21 absences each, while Negros Occidental Rep. Julio Ledesma and Agusan del Norte Rep. Ma. Angelica Amante were absent in 18 sessions.

The other House members who had perfect attendance last year were Winston Castelo (Quezon City), Jesus Sacdalan (North Cotabato) Nur Jaafar (Tawi-Tawi), Pedro Acharon Jr. (South Cotabato), Romeo Acop (Antipolo), Emmeline Aglipay (Democratic Independent Worker’s Association), Tomas Apacible (Batangas);

Amado Bagatsing (Manila), Jorge Banal (Quezon City), Leopoldo Bataoil (Pangasinan), Trisha Bonoan-David (Manila), Mary Mitzi Cajayon (Caloocan City), Imelda Calixto-Rubiano (Pasay City), Jane Castro (Capiz), Maximo Dalog (Mountain Province), Raul Daza (Northern Samar), Rachel Marguerite Del Mar (Cebu);

Erico Basilio Fabian (Zamboanga City), Rodolfo Fariñas (Ilocos Norte), Salvio Fortuno (Camarines Sur), Albert Raymond Garcia (Bataan), Sharon Garin (AAMBIS-OWA), Agapito Guanlao (Butil), David Kho (Senior Citizens), Roger Mercado (Southern Leyte);

Angelo Palmones (Agham), Rene Relampagos (Bohol), Herminia Roman (Bataan), Raden Sakaluran (Sultan Kudarat), Mel Senen Sarmiento (Western Samar), Marcelino Teodoro (Marikina), Acmad Tomawis (Ang Laban ng Indiginong Filipino), Neil Tupas (Iloilo) and Jose Zubiri III (Bukidnon).

A few other party-list representatives had perfect attendance from the time the Commission on Elections (Comelec) proclaimed them. The Comelec has made a staggered determination of winning party-list groups. Some cases remain unresolved up to now, nine months after the May 10, 2010 elections.

The House held 46 sessions between July 26 and Dec. 14 last year. –Jess Diaz (The Philippine Star)