No quorum again at House of Representatives

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives failed again to muster quorum last night with only two sessions to go before Congress goes on a four-month election-related adjournment.

Only 95 of the 267 members of the chamber responded to the roll call, prompting the presiding officer, Deputy Speaker Eric Singson, to immediately adjourn the session.

It was the second time in as many weeks that the House failed to tackle its business due to lack of quorum. Last Jan. 25, congressmen started the week by going home early after the roll call showed there were not enough of them to proceed with the session.

Last night’s adjournment prevented House leaders from administering the oath to Celestino Martinez III, who was set to take the place of incumbent Rep. Benhur Salimbangon of Cebu’s Fourth District.

The House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal has declared Martinez as the duly elected congressman of the Fourth District. The Supreme Court has upheld the tribunal’s decision.

While the roll of members was being called, Cebu congressmen walked out of the session hall apparently in protest over Salimbangon’s replacement by Martinez.

Had Martinez taken his oath last night, he would have attended only two sessions before the adjournment.

House leaders were also scheduled to welcome the entry of one more party-list representative, Domingo Espina of the Coconut Federation.

Before last night’s adjournment, Rep. Mariano Piamonte Jr. of the party-list group Advocacy for Teacher Empowerment through Action, Cooperation and Harmony towards Educational Reforms (A Teacher) delivered a privilege speech about his personal differences with colleague Rep. Ulpiano Sarmiento II of the same group.

Noting that the speech was about personal matters that the two A Teacher representatives should thresh out between themselves, Reps. Teodoro Locsin Jr. of Makati and Salvador Escudero III of Sorsogon appealed to Piamonte to cut short his speech.

They said Piamonte was wasting the time of the House that should be spent on considering or approving important pending bills.

Singson ruled that the A Teacher representative should be given time to finish his speech.

Zamboanga del Sur Rep. Antonio Cerilles later tried to ask Piamonte some questions, but House leaders requested him to just keep quiet, telling him that they have to attend to the chamber’s business for the day.

Cerilles did not like the request and moved for calling the roll.

Meanwhile, Escudero bewailed what he described as a “disappearing quorum,” where lawmakers only answer the first roll call and slip away afterwards.

“The session hall is cold at 7 p.m. for lack of warm bodies. I hope they can adjust the thermostat,” he said in jest. “That’s why I am so disappointed that members of Congress tolerate that we transact business without quorum.”

The father of Sen. Francis Escudero also took a swipe at the House leadership of Speaker Prospero Nograles, comparing it to the time when he was the House majority leader of ousted Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.

“During our time, whenever the Speaker tells me as majority leader, please produce a quorum, a quorum is produced,” he said. Escudero now belongs to the House minority bloc, or the opposition.

One classic example of a truant lawmaker is Negros Occidental Rep. Julio “Jules” Ledesma, whom Nograles requested to at least attend the last two session days of Congress (Feb. 2-3) so that he can get his paychecks. He has not shown up at sessions, however.

The congressman, dubbed an “absentee lawmaker,” had asked the House to release his bonuses and other allowances, including his 13th month pay, last December. – With Delon Porcalla