Miriam top Senate absentee

Miriam Defensor-Santiago / Wikipedia Photo

MANILA — Because of her chronic fatigue syndrome, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago had the most number of recorded absences in the Senate.

During plenary in the first regular session of Congress, a total of 83 sessions were held from  July 22 last year to June 11 this year.

Of this 83 sessions, Santiago was only able to attend three, according to the official records of the senate.

The senator is on  indefinite qualified medical leave, as sated on senate records and as previously mentioned by the senator in his communications with the Senate’s leadership in the present and previous Congress. 

The records also showed that Sen. Teofisto Guingona III followed Santiago in the list of senators with the most number of absences.

Guingona, who was able to attend only 38 sessions was on “official mission during 37 of the sessions, according to data from the  Plenary Affairs Bureau of the Senate.

Guingona was followed by Senators Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Antonio Trillanes IV, who attended 53 and 59 plenary sessions, respectively. 

Trillanes had the most number of absences with a total of 15, followed by Senators Ramon Revilla Jr. with 11, Guingona with eight, Marcos with six and Manuel Lapid and Loren Legarda with five each.

Being the oldest Senate member, Senate Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile recorded the most number of sick leaves at seven, but was present in 72 of the plenary sessions.

Senate President Franklin Drilon, Deputy Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III, Nancy Binay and Gregorio Honasan were all recorded to have a perfect attendance during the sessions.

Meanwhile, Senator Jinggoy Estrada who earlier criticized Guingona of always being absent was present in 82 of the 83 sessions.

With reports from Philippine Star