He was not seen often, but Senator Manuel “Lito” Lapid’s attendance record was better than his colleagues as the Senate.
Lapid, who chairs the committee on games, amusement and sports, attended 73 out of the 95 sessions in the first regular session of the 15th Congress, according to Senate records.
His attendance was better than those of Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano (67), and Senators Manuel Villar (61), Antonio Trillanes IV (40), Miriam Defensor-Santiago (33) and Panfilo Lacson (12).
Santiago was on sick leave at least 54 times due to hypothyroidism. Trillanes was detained on coup charges, while Lacson went into hiding for more than a year.
Senate Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, and Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri all scored a perfect attendance.
Senator Sergio Osmena III (91) followed. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Joker Arroyo, Gregorio Honasan, and Francis Escudero, each attended 89 sessions.
Not far behind were Senators Franklin Drilon (86), Teofisto Guingona III and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. (83 each), Loren Legarda (81), Ralph Recto (80) and Pia Cayetano (79).
Senator Edgardo Angara attended 77 sessions, while Senators Francis Pangilinan and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. were present in 76 and 74 sessions, respectively.
At the House of Representatives, roughly 150 out of 285 representatives had perfect attendance, including House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.
Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her son Camarines Sur Representative Diosdado “Dato” Arroyo were present in all 73 sessions.
But her eldest, Ang Galing Pinoy Representative Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo and brother-in-law, Negros Occidental Representative Ignacio “Iggy” T. Arroyo were among the top absentees as they did not attend 32 and 27 sessions, respectively.
But the top absentee was Laguna Representative Maria Evita Arago, who did not attend 43 sessions because of pregnancy.
Third on the list of chronic absentees was Abra Representative Jocelyn Bernos who was out of sight for 29 days, just ahead of Iggy Arroyo and Negros Occidental Representative Julio Ledesma IV who both had 27 absences.
Ledesma, who used to be the top absentee, attended 46 out of the 73 session days. Last year, he was absent for 47 days.