Mikey and Iggy top House absentees, records show

MANILA, Philippines - Two members of the Arroyo clan are among the congressmen who have chalked up numerous absences in the first regular session of Congress from July 2010 to June this year.

The individual absences were in contrast with the record attendance of the House itself that averaged over 90 percent every session day.

Based on records from the chamber’s Office of the Secretary General, Ang Galing Pinoy party-list Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo topped the list of absentees in the House, failing to attend 32 out of the 70 sessions of the chamber.

The eldest son of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was practically absent the entire May until the first regular session of the 15th Congress adjourned last month.

Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo, Mikey’s uncle, placed third with 27 absences.

Boxing champion and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao and Negros Occidental Rep. Jules Ledesma both came in at fourth place with 26 absences.

Others listed in the House records were Reps. Jocelyn Bernos (Abra) with 29 absences); Narciso Bravo (Masbate), Romeo Jalosjos Jr. (Zamboanga Sibugay) and Rosenda Ocampo (Manila), all with 18 absences; Jonathan Cabilao Yambao (Zamboana Sibugay), 16 absences; Teddy Brawner Baguilat (Ifugao), 14 absences; Ma. Angelica Amante-Matba (Agusan del Norte),13 absences; Nur Anna Sahidullah (Sulu), 12 absences; and Evita Arago (Laguna), 11 absences.

When reached by The STAR, Iggy clarified that as far as he knows, he only incurred seven absences as the others were on official business or the Office of House Secretary General Marilyn Barua-Yap was given notice.

“I’m getting old and I need to have a hip replacement. It’s not life-threatening but could be debilitating so I had to seek medical treatment abroad, which explains my absences,” Iggy said in a telephone interview.

He said he plans to have his hipbone replaced before the opening of the second regular session of Congress before the end of the month.

Mikey told ABS-CBN said he was in the US to meet his constituents and spend time with his family.

Lawyer Franklin Gacal, Pacquiao’s chief of staff, said the boxing congressman was in his district or was training for his successful bouts abroad.

“But the absences do not tell the whole story of his hard work. The Philippines was delisted from the watchlist of human trafficking because of the congressman’s efforts that prompted concerned agencies, like the DOJ, to work hard,” Gacal told The STAR in a telephone interview.

Baguilat said most of his absences were on official missions abroad and being a neophyte lawmaker, he did not know that he can register his presence in the session hall even if he is late because of his committee meetings.

“My committee (indigenous peoples) is one of the committees that conducted the most hearings. Records will bear me out,” he said in a telephone interview.

Matba and Arago were reportedly on maternity leave while the others stressed they were busy doing constituency work.