House roll window-dressed

Record high on roll call, but even in the roll call, I was able to prove the other night, manipulation happens.

The House of Representatives has been racking up almost perfect attendance and had averaged 247 legislators present for daily sessions out of 306 congressmen under the term of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, but a congressman said the numbers were “doctored.”

Buhay partylist Rep. Lito Atienza exposed yesterday what he said was the House leadership’s penchant for image management.

Atienza, who has been constantly questioning the quorum during plenary sessions at the House of Representatives, accused the chamber’s leaders as merely “doctoring” the members’ attendance.

“Record high on roll call, but even in the roll call, I was able to prove the other night, manipulation happens,” Atienza said.

“There are only at most 233 or 234, but the number comes out at 239. I have included all of those outside, House members abroad, officially absent, still they fall short of 239. So, even in the roll call, they are manipulating and doctoring, and that’s not good,” he added.

The supposed practice of padding the attendance ended in the previous Congress, during the term of former Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, according to the legislator.

“That practice has long been removed in the 17th Congress. It was also rampant during the 16th Congress,” he said.

“When it was the watch of (Speaker Arroyo), many times they run to her when I was questioning the quorum and they were rebuffed by the Speaker if there is no quorum. ‘Atienza is correct, do not meet,’” he said.

Atienza slammed the House leadership, saying it seems to be more concerned in breaking records.

Since the leadership does not allow “lengthy” interpellations during the plenary budget hearing, which started last Tuesday, he even suggested that lawmakers pass the 2020 national budget bill in one night.

He added the House leadership keeps on approving the budget proposed by the agencies with only 20 or 30 people on the floor.

Section 16, Paragraph 2 of the 1987 Constitution stated that a majority of each House shall constitute a quorum to do business.