CongressWatch Report No. 175

Report No. 175 11 April 2013

Part 2 of the 2013 Election Series of CongressWatch The familiar Senate

The political dynamics in the Senate often differs from the House of Representatives, particularly on the issues of the national budget and on the proposed amendments to the Constitution. They also have a different take on key measures—the reproductive health law and the law restructur- ing excise taxes of alcohol and tobacco products, based on their vote records (yes-no-abstain):

Responsible Parenthood Restructuring the excise taxes of and Reproductive Health alcohol and tobacco products Act House of Representatives HB 4244: 133-79-7 HB 5727: 210-21-5 Senate SB 2865: 13-8-0 SB 3299: 10-9-0

The Senate is also different in the elections since only 12 of the 24 slots are up for grabs every na- tional election. Each senator has a six-year term and is eligible for re-election, not exceeding two consecutive terms.

Unlike in the House of Representatives, the Senate, as an institution, is not completely dissolved in-between elections. According to the Senate website, “the purpose of the continuity of the life of the Senate is intended to encourage the maintenance of policies as well as guarantee that there will be experienced members who can help and train newcomers in the discharge of their duties.”

However, at least in the last two elections, veterans and familiar faces made up the Senate roll. This is where the senatorial contest runs similar to those in the legislative districts or even in other elective posts—incumbent and returning officials have had the upper hand.

In the 2007 elections, five1 senators won, while two2 lost in their re-election bid. There were also two former senators3 who returned to the Upper House, while three were House members from the previous Congress4. Completing the 2007 winning senators were then-newcomers former AFP officer IV and Aquilino Pimentel III.

1Edgardo Angara, , , , and Manuel Villar Jr.

2Ralph Recto and Vicente Sotto III

3Gregorio Honasan II and

4Benigno Simeon Aquino III, , and Francis Joseph Escudero CongressWatch Report No. 175

Meanwhile, in the 2010 elections, all six re-electionist senators5, four returning senators6, and two House members7 constituted the winning 12.

A peculiarity of this so-called continuity in the Senate is that a senator who has yet to finish his/ her term may run for other elective posts without being deemed resigned. If he/she wins, then the Senate membership is decreased.

Such was the case in the 11th Congress when then Sen. was elected vice president in 1998, though her term ran until 2001. In the 13th Congress, became the vice president, thus leaving a Senate seat vacant until 2010. During the 2010 elections, Be- nigno Aquino III was elected President of the Republic despite having a senatorial term stretching until 2013.

However, when a Senator loses in the election, he/she is allowed to continue the unexpired term. In 2010, after the president-vice president tandem of Sens. Manuel Villar and Loren Legarda lost their bids, they returned to the Senate to finish their terms which run until June 2013.

Relatives also tend to be members of the same Congress. Examples are cousins John Osmeña and Sergio Osmeña III in the 11th and 12th Congress; mother and son Luisa and Jinggoy Ejerci- to-Estrada during the 13th Congress; and siblings Pia and Alan Cayetano in the 14th and 15th Congress. This scenario will likely continue based on the latest senatorial surveys conducted by Pulse Asia and the Social Weather Stations (SWS):

Ranking Senatoriable kin Pulse Asia SWS Loren Legarda (Team PNoy – NPC) 1-2 1 Francis Joseph Escudero (Team PNoy – Independent) 1-3 3-4 Alan Peter Cayetano (Team PNoy – NP) 2-3 2 Llamanzares (Team PNoy – Independent) 4-10 11 Aquilino Martin “Koko” Pimentel IV 4-10 5-7 (Team PNoy – PDP-Laban) (Team PNoy – NP) 4-11 5-7 (UNA – PDP-Laban) 4-11 5-7 Benigno “Bam“ Aquino IV (Team PNoy – LP) 4-12 10 Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito (UNA – PMP) 4-12 3-4 Antonio Trillanes IV (Team PNoy – NP) 4-12 8 II (UNA) 6-14 9 Juan (Team PNoy – LDP) 8-15 12 (UNA – PMP) 11-16 15 Juan “Jack” Ponce Enrile Jr. (UNA – NPC) 11-16 13-14 Richard Gordon (UNA – Bagumbayan-VNP) 12-17 16-17 Jr. (Team PNoy – LP) 13-18 13-14 Ma. Ana Consuelo “Jamby” Magridal (Team PNoy – LP) 15-18 16-17 Top 17 Senatorial Preference based on the 3 April media release of Pulse Asia and 1 April media release of SWS.

5Pia Cayetano, , Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, , , and Ramon Revilla Jr.

6Franklin Drilon, Sergio Osmeña III, and Vicente Sotto III

7Teofisto Guingona III and Jr. ______2 CongressWatch Report No. 175

Within the Senate ranks, there is a probability of having at least three pairs of relatives: Senators whose terms expire 1. Pia and Alan Cayetano (siblings) in 2016: 2. Jinggoy and JV Ejercito Estrada (half-brothers) 3. Juan and Jack Ponce Enrile (father and son) 1. In the Lower House, the common scenario is that a family mem- 2. Miriam Defensor Santiago ber takes on the post of his/her relative, while there are some 3. who are contesting the same position8. There are also several cases where there are relatives in the same Congress serving 4. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada separate districts9 or one is a party list representative10. This does 5. Juan Ponce Enrile not discount the chances of other family members to be elect- ed in other different posts, including local positions, as well. 7. Lito Lapid 6. Teofisto Guingona III 8. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ERRATA: Out of 225 district representatives in the House, 43 are gunning for other elective positions, while 52 members 10. Ralph Recto have relatives running for the positions they will vacate. 9. Sergio Osmeña III CongressWatch Report No. 174 erronously stated that there 11. Ramon Revilla Jr. were 21 members running for other posts and 51 members had relatives running for their soon-to-be vacated positions. 12. Vicente Sotto III

8For instance, in the coming elections, former three-term representative Rodolfo Plaza is running against his sister, incumbent Evelyn Mellana, in ’s second district.

9Examples in the 15th Congress are: father-in-law-daughter-in-law, Rodolfo Albano Jr. (, 1st district) and Mylene Garcia Albano ( City, 2nd district); mother-son, Dato Arroyo (, 2nd district) and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (, 2nd district); uncle-in-law and niece, Enrique Cojuanco (, 1st district) and Carmen Cojuangco (, 5th district); mother-daughter, Imelda Dimaporo (, 1st district) and Fatima Aliah Dimaporo (Lanao del Norte, 2nd district); father-son, Pablo Garcia Sr. (, 2nd district) and Pablo John Garcia (Cebu, 3rd district); uncle-nephews, Cesar Jalosjos (, 3rd district), Romeo Jalosjos Jr. (Zamboanga-Sibugay, 2nd district) and Seth Frederick Jalosjos (Zamboanga del Norte, 1st district); and sisters, Valentina Plaza (Agusan del Sur, 1st district) and Evelyn Mellana (Agusan del Sur, 2nd district).

10Examples in the 15th Congress are: Juan Miguel Arroyo (AGP) with his mother, Gloria and brother, Dato; Sharon Garin (AAMBIS-OWA) with her sister in law, Janette Garin (, 1st district); Weslie Gatchalian (ALAY-BUHAY) with his brother, Rexlon Gatchalian (Valenzuela City, 1st district); Eulogio Magsaysay (AVE) with his nephew, Albert Raymond Garcia (, 2nd district) and niece-in-law, Milagros Magsaysay (, 1st district); Florencio Noel (An Waray) with his spouse Josephine Veronique Lacson Noel ( City, lone district), Francisco Emmanuel Ortega III (ABONO) with his uncle, Victor Francisco Ortega (, 1st district); Nasser Pangandaman (AA-Kasosyo) with his father, Hussein Pangandaman (, 1st district); and Maximo Rodriguez Jr. (ABAMIN) with his brother, Rufus Rodriguez ( de Oro City, 2nd district).

The CongressWatch Report is a regular publication of the Business Club. Its main mission is to promote accountability and transparency of elected government officials. For inquiries, suggestions, and additional information, please call CongressWatch at tele- phone nos. 751-1143 to 45 or email [email protected].

Project Coordinator Editors Design & Layout Patrick D.P. Chua Isabel A. Lopa Robi F. Del Rosario Paolo B. Monteiro ______3