Cutie posts perfect, Tomas has lowest Congress attendance

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City North District Rep. Rachel Marguerite “Cutie” del Mar posted a perfect attendance among Cebu’s lawmakers as the 15th Congress adjourns for holidays.

That was in contrast to Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña who got the lowest attendance.

Based on House records, of all the Cebuano congressmen, only Del Mar registered a perfect attendance during the first 45 days of session at the House of Representatives while Osmeña only attended 32 sessions since July.

Del Mar received a Parker ballpoint pen as a token.

Of the 283 congressmen at the House of Representatives, only 43 congressmen registered perfect attendances.

Del Mar, in an interview with The FREEMAN, said she wants to follow in her father’s footstep. Former congressman Raul del Mar also registered perfect attendance during his 20-year stint as a congressman.

Cutie recalled that she even missed an Asian Inter-Parliamentary conference outside the country and the recent fight of boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao in order not to be absent from the session.

Cutie also said that even if she is not feeling well she will never miss a session.

“Even if I’m not feeling well I have to go to work. I really start and end, dili lang pang-check attendance,” she said.

The House received more than 4,600 measures consisting of more than 3,800 bills and close to 800 resolutions, one of which is House Resolution 593 filed by Del Mar lauding Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal for almost three decades of service to the people of Cebu.

In a separate interview, Osmeña said his absences were mostly due to his regular medical check-up in the United States.

Osmeña ran for congressman in order to protect the South Road Properties, which is his centerpiece project and his defining legacy to the Cebuanos, despite doubts that he could withstand the rigors of the campaign after being diagnosed with and treated for cancer of the urinary bladder in October 2008.

“Sometime I had conflict with other commitments outside but a lot of absences here are my medical check-ups,” Osmeña said.

Despite his absences, Osmeña said that being the vice chairman of the Committee on Budget and Appropriation, he was able to discover and stop the anomalous transaction of the military department during the budget deliberation of his committee.

In Cebu Province, 6th district Rep. Luigi Quisumbing got 43 in attendance. He was followed by 4th district Rep. Benhur Salimbangon with 42.

First district Rep. Eduardo Gullas had 39, Deputy Speaker for the Visayas Pablo Garcia, 2nd district representative, and lone district Rep. Arturo Radaza of Lapu-Lapu City, had 38 each while Ramonito “Red” Durano of the 5th district had 36.

Like Osmeña, 3rd district Rep. Pablo John Garcia has 33 in attendance.

Pablo John said that “attendance” is important but what is also more important is attending to the needs of the constituents he represents.

“Attendance is very important. And so is getting some legislation done and tending to the needs of your constituents,” Pablo John said.  (FREEMAN)