Lawmaker told: There’s no excuse for absences

Marikina Rep. Romero Quimbo: No work, no pork. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—We don’t need more absentee lawmakers.

Marikina Rep. Romero Quimbo, who will be on his second term in the 16th Congress, said Thursday legislators owe it to their constituents to attend the thrice a week House sessions, usually held Mondays to Wednesdays, at 4 p.m.

“I think it would be embarrassing to the public if many of us would continue to be absent. I’d like to remind everybody, it doesn’t matter if they’re not so good at debating, I just hope they would show up at the plenary,” Quimbo told reporters, when asked what advice he could give his new colleagues.

Quimbo was among the 21 lawmakers who registered perfect attendance in the 15th Congress.

Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao and Negros Occidental Rep. Jules Ledesma were the top absentee lawmakers.

Quimbo dismissed the absentee lawmakers’ excuse that they were doing work in their respective districts when they should be studying and passing laws.

“That’s just an excuse. All of us have the same job. Our main duty is to pass laws. Bills that are not being passed or laws that are deficient or filled with errors could have been avoided had more people joined the debate and talked about these,” he said.

He said he was agreeable to suggestions that frequently absent lawmakers be denied certain benefits, such as their salaries or pork barrel, formally known as the priority development assistance fund (PDAF).

“I think that would be an abandonment of their duty or mandate from the people. It should be no work, no pork,” he said.