MANILA, Philippines – Despite her absences, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago remained the top member of the Senate with the highest number of bills and resolutions filed in the chamber.
Santiago filed a total of 882 bills and resolutions, based on the records of the Senate bills and index division.
“Although I was absent for several months because of hypothyroidism, I tried hard to be diligent. Plus, I have a great staff,” she explained in an interview.
Santiago said she “worked my ass off” in filing bills because she wanted to send a message that the main task of the Senate is legislation, and not criminal investigation.
“A public hearing on a controversial issue generates a lot of publicity, but usually the result is merely a recommendation to the Ombudsman,” she said.
“ By contrast, internet research is very quiet and solitary, but one bill could make a difference in the lives of people,” the senator averred.
Senate Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada was the second member with the highest number of bills and resolutions filed (581), followed by Senator Manny Villar (539), Senator Antonio Trillanes (394), Senator Lito Lapid (239); Senator Francis Escudero (154) and Senator Ramon Revilla (150).
Senator Loren Legarda filed 198 bills and resolutions, Senator Edgardo Angara with 117, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri with 90, Senator Pia Cayetano (74); Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III and Senator Franklin Drilon (45), and Senator Francis Pangilinan with 43.
Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile and Senator Teofisto Guingona III had only filed 40 bills and resolutions, Senator Ferdinand “Bong-Bong” Marcos with 39; Senator Gregorio Honasan, 34; Senator Sergio Osmeña, 33; Senator Panfilo Lacson, 31; Senator Joker Arroyo, 23 and Senator Alan Cayetano with only 20.
Meanwhile, Santiago clarified that her proposed “pay-to-stay” program for wealthy prisoners was not meant to favor the rich, but to improve the penal system in the country.
“The country needs nationwide penal reform. As usual there is no money. The ‘pay-to-stay’ program forces rich prisoners to pay the money which will be used to improve the detention facilities of poor prisoners,” she pointed out.
Her proposal, the senator said, would also “manage the bribery culture that is widespread today in national penitentiaries and city jails.”
“In jail, if you are rich, you can live like a maharajah. By contrast, if you are poor, you live like a sewer rat. So we must adopt the Robin Hood concept – making the rich pay for the poor,” she declared.