15th Congress opens second regular session

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MANILA, Philippines – The 15th Congress opened its second regular session, hours before President Benigno Aquino III will deliver his second State of the Nation Address Monday.

Senator Juan Ponce Enrile and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte banged their gavels at exactly 10 a.m.

Aside from Enrile, present at the Senate were Panfilo Lacson, Gregorio Honasan, Loren Legarda, Antonio Trillanes IV, Vicente Sotto III, Manny Villar , Edgrado Angara, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Teofisto Gungona III, Sergio Osmena III, Franklin Drilon, Francis “Chiz” Escudero,Joker Arroyo Senate Pro Tempore Jose Jinggoy Estrada, Ferdinand “Bong-Bong” Marcos, Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Ralph Recto, and Lito Lapid.

Elections chairman Sixto Brillantes, former senators Heherson Alvarez and Santanina Rasul, and member of the diplomatic corps also attended the opening of the session in the Senate.

The Senate and the House of Representatives passed resolutions, which paved the way for the holding of a joint session this Monday noon to hear the second State of the Nation address of President Benigno Aquino III.

Belmonte said of the 285 members of the House, 261 were in attendance, including celebrity lawmakers like Saranggani Representative Manny Pacquiao and Congresswomen Lucy Torres-Gomez and Lani Mercado.

Belmonte said the number of present at the opening of the second regular session was the “highest” in attendance in the history of the House.

Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo merely smiled at newsmen when sought for comments ahead of her successor’s address.

First posted 10:16 am | Monday, July 25th, 2011