Senate report card: Serge, Kiko always late

MANILA, Philippines - Senators allied with the administration coalition were the most tardy during the 15th Congress.

Records from the Senate Journal Service showed that Sens. Sergio Osmeña, Francis Pangilinan, Ralph Recto, Manny Villar and Alan Peter Cayetano had arrived after the roll call in most session days.

Records showed that Osmeña arrived 93 times after the roll call; Pangilinan, 71; Recto, 64; Villar, 56, and Cayetano, 55.

Osmeña, Pangilinan and Recto are known allies of President Aquino, while Villar and Cayetano are with the Nacionalista Party (NP), which coalesced with Team PNoy in the May 13  senatorial election.

On the other hand, Senate President Pro-Tempore and now acting Senate President Jinggoy Estrada and Sen. Vicente Sotto III were never marked late during the entire 15th Congress, which spanned from July 26, 2010 to June 8, 2013.

Sotto also had perfect attendance in all 214 session days, while Estrada was only absent for three days.

Sotto, who recently resigned as Senate majority leader, and Estrada are expected to be part of the new minority group in the incoming 16th regular session of Congress.

The other senators in order of most tardy days were Sens. Teofisto Guingona III, Francis Escudero, Antonio Trillanes IV, Edgardo Angara, Joker Arroyo, Aquilino Pimentel III, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Ramon Revilla, Lito Lapid, Franklin Drilon, Pia Cayetano, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Loren Legarda, Juan Ponce Enrile, Gregorio Honasan and Panfilo Lacson.

Trillanes of NP, Pimentel of PDP-Laban and Escudero, an independent, ran for re-election under Team PNoy.

The report did not include details on senators who were marked “on official mission” but arrived at the session hall after the roll call.