CEBU’S eight lawmakers in the House of Representatives principally authored a total of 252 bills during the 14th Congress, from July 23, 2007 to Feb. 3, 2010.
But only 10 bills were signed into law by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, while 34 are still awaiting action by the Senate. At least 85 are pending report or action by the committees, according to the Office of the Secretary-General.
The rest of the bills were substituted by other bills before these were discussed at the committee level.
That he has filed the most number of bills (55) and had the most number of approved laws (4) among Cebuano legislators shows how hard he works in Congress, said Deputy Speaker Raul del Mar (Cebu City, north district).
“It’s nothing new, I’ve always worked very hard so that’s not surprising,” del Mar said in a phone interview.
“I don’t like to blow my own horn but my constituents know how hard I work as congressman. I have achieved a record of perfect attendance in session in the last 20 years.”
Among the bills he principally authored that became laws were the conversion of the Cebu State College of Science and Technology into the Cebu Technological University, an act granting the Social Security System a one-time authority to condone penalties on delinquent contributions, and an act regulating the real estate service.
Of the eight Cebuano members of the House, Rep. Pablo John Garcia (Cebu Province, 3rd district) filed the least number of bills as principal author, at six.
“I don’t believe in quantity but in quality, or in filing bills that have no hope of passage,” he said in a text message.
“But I’m proud to say that I co-authored seven bills that eventually became laws,” he added.
These include the amendments to the Magna Carta for Small Enterprises, the Cheaper Medicines Act, the Renewable Energy Law and the creation of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
After del Mar, another House veteran, Rep. Eduardo Gullas (Cebu Province, 1st district) filed the most number of bills as principal author (46).
He was followed by Rep. Pablo Garcia (Cebu Province, 2nd district), 41 bills; Rep. Benhur Salim-bangon (Cebu Province, 4th district), 37 bills; Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz (Cebu Province, 6th district), 28 bills; Rep. Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City, south), 27 bills; and Rep. Red Durano (Cebu Province, 5th district), 12 bills.
Two bills principally authored by Cuenco and Soon-Ruiz eventually became laws. Gullas and the elder Garcia each produced one law.
Cuenco worked for the creation of an additional barangay in Cebu City, now known as Barangay Banawa-Englis. Soon-Ruiz is behind the creation of a lone legislative district in Lapu-Lapu City, separating it from the sixth district of Cebu.
Gullas is behind the declaration of Jan. 12 as the Charter Day of Talisay City, a special non-working holiday. Pablo Garcia worked for the creation of the Argao National High School.
The House also approved in February 2009 the creation of an additional district in Cebu Province, principally authored by Pablo Garcia and co-authored by his son Pablo John, Gullas and Salim-bangon.
But the Senate failed to act on it.
Five of Gullas’s bills have been transmitted to the Senate, where these awaited action until the adjournment. One of these bills sought to regionalize the education department’s payroll services. Gullas also co-authored 87 bills.
Del Mar co-authored 203 bills.
Change
Salimbangon, who served his first term, submitted 10 bills as principal author, now pending in the Senate. He co-authored 67 bills.
One sought to make Malapascua Island an eco-tourism destination, while another intended to grant a franchise to operate a greyhound racetrack in Mandaue.
The Supreme Court (SC) recently declared former Bogo mayor Celes-tino “Tining” Martinez III as the rightful winner of the 2007 congressional race in Cebu’s fourth
district.
But Martinez failed to take his oath before the session ended last Feb. 3.
Meanwhile, the Senate passed without amendments Durano’s two bills: one establishing a national high school in Pilar and another, a high school in Danao.
Durano co-authored 50 bills, while Soon-Ruiz co-authored 75 and Cuenco, 72.
Cuenco was the principal author of a proposal to create a third congressional district in Cebu City.
Pablo Garcia, for his part, delivered 14 privilege speeches during the 14th Congress.
These included the speech in which he expressed doubt on the automation of the 2010 elections, and proposed a compromise instead: manual counting and automatic transmission.
He co-authored 81 bills, while his son Pablo John co-authored 62 bills. (With LCR & RSA)