Miriam leads Senate in filing most number of bills

MANILA, Philippines – Despite complaining of chronic fatigue syndrome, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago has filed the most number of bills in the Senate during the 14th Congress.

Santiago has filed 704 bills and co-authored 25 others.

In her report, Santiago said her bills comprise almost one-fifth of the 3,868 bills filed by all senators in the current Congress. She also topped the list for most number of resolutions filed with 277.

Santiago, who suffers from chronic fatigue, consistently led her fellow senators in submitting the most number of legislative measures since her election in 2004. Her medical condition prompted the senator to file for an indefinite sick leave last year and early this year but the senator still diligently filed bills.

Notable among her bills is the Anti-Billboard Bill passed by the Senate but ignored by the House of Representatives in the last Congress, reportedly because of the influence of a moneyed billboard lobby.

The measure, which places a strict ban on the billboards that fail to comply with certain size and location requirements, recently passed the committee level as Committee Report No. 85 and is now waiting to be sponsored on the Senate floor.

Santiago’s Anti-Video Voyeurism Bill passed second reading before the Senate’s sine die adjournment.

The bill’s passage came in the wake of the recent Senate investigation on the proliferation of the sex videos involving Dr. Hayden Kho and various women. The bill aims to protect the privacy and dignity of every person by criminalizing photo and video voyeurism.

Senate Bill 1757, or the Clear Sidewalks Act of 2009, sponsored by Santiago and co-authored with Sen. Benigno Aquino III, passed third reading before the adjournment.

The bill prohibits the use of streets, sidewalks, avenues, alleys, bridges, parks, and other public places for commercial or personal use, and requires citizens to apply for the temporary use of sidewalks for special community-wide occasions and other civic or charitable purpose.

Despite several absences in the last regular session, Santiago seemed to be the most traveled senator as she is almost always included in the official party of President Arroyo in her trips abroad, most recently in Russia.